Courtesy-India.com
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has rejected the concept of bamboo bats, claiming that they would be “illegal” under the existing set of rules regulating the game.
The guardians of cricket’s rules, on the other hand, have stated that they would discuss the matter at their laws sub-committee meeting.
According to a report conducted by Darshil Shah and Ben Tinkler-Davies of the University of Cambridge, bats made from bamboo are more economically viable and stronger than willow-based bats.
“Currently, law 5.3.2 says that the blade of the bat must be entirely made of wood, so for bamboo (which is a grass) to be seen as a viable replacement to willow, a law amendment will be needed,” MCC said in a statement on Monday.
“Importantly, the legislation would need to be changed to expressly allow bamboo, since even if it were recognized as a wood, this would still be prohibited under current law, which prohibits lamination of the sword, except in junior bats,” MCC added.
The bamboo bat was discovered to be stiffer, tougher, and heavier than those made of willow. The main agenda was to have a larger “sweet spot, closer to the toe of the bat.”
“For instance, the sweet spot on a bamboo bat makes it much easier to hit a four off a Yorker, but it’s exciting for all sorts of strokes,” Shah explained in the article.
The MCC, on the other hand, has stated that it must tread carefully in order to maintain the equilibrium between bat and ball.
The MCC’s function as Guardian of the Laws involves ensuring the balance between bat and ball, and any future changes to the Law will need to carefully consider this, especially the idea of the bat generating more force.