Cricket bats – willow's whisper that conveys the power

Hindustan Times

7 hours ago

Cricket has advanced in so many ways but the equipment used by players has only seen minor changes. The bats Ranji and Bradman played with hundred years ago are not fundamentally different from those used by Rohit or Bumrah. India's Rishabh Pant attempts his patent falling heave during the first Test between India and England at Headingley. (AFP)
Golf, tennis and badminton equipment moved from wood to graphite to titanium but bats have retained their character, shape and look. The laws mandate bats are made only of willow and must comply with regulations on weight, length, width and size of edges. Umpires check the bats of the incoming batters to ensure they don't hold an illegal advantage.
The cricket bat industry is not just interesting, but unique. The best willow comes from England and one supplier, JS Wright, has dominated the trade for almost 150 years. He produces and sells the best quality willow, sets the price, selects the buyers and allocates quotas. All major bat manufacturers (Grey Nicolls, Kookaburra, SG, SS) have to source the raw material from him.
Problem is, due to the supply side constraint and shortage of quality willow, prices keep rising. With rapidly rising demand (mainly from India due to the IPL boom) the cost of top-end bats has gone for a six. Premium bats retail at £1,000-1,200 in England and over ₹ 1 lakh in India.
Efforts to find more quality willow have not succeeded. Willow grows best in English weather. A tree takes 12-15 years to mature and yields 40 clefts that are converted into bats. Alternate willow from Kashmir – and Siberia – isn't good enough.
The question is: What is a good bat? Opinions vary. For some it's a 'clean' cleft without knots or blemish that has straight tight grains. These perform better and provide more power. Bats with wide grains are also good as they last longer.
To get over the supply hurdle, bat manufacturers are looking at innovative solutions. One option is the 'lamination' bat where more than one blade is stuck together – a thin English willow face with cheaper willows at the back. These are not legal, used currently only for recreational cricket. Cricket authorities are worried that unscrupulous manufacturers could insert foreign material inside the bat, making them more powerful and further disturb the bat-ball imbalance.
The more radical option is the non-willow, black carbon bat. These have been recently trialled for training purposes at the junior level but going forward are likely to remain illegal as they fail the non-negotiable 'only willow' condition.
Technology hasn't revolutionised bats but helped make them better with subtle changes. The willow is scientifically treated to remove moisture and toughened to create more power. The cleft arriving in Meerut from England is converted into a sleek 'ready to use' bat within three days. Unlike the past, these wonderful bats don't require breaking in during practice, or banged with a mallet to make them match fit.
The biggest advance though is about the weight distribution. Modern players have shifted back to Azharuddin's light weight bats (in the 1100-1150 gram range), preferring these to the 1300 g monster favoured by Tendulkar. Batters are fussy on weight – bats even 5-10 grams beyond specs are turned down.
Most bats nowadays have a pronounced 'duck bill' shape at the back near the toe. Apparently, batters (Suryakumar Yadav, for instance) who depend more on hand-eye coordination and bat speed want a lighter toe for an easier pick up. Others looking to play through the line on low pitches or hit big opt for a chunkier bottom.
One critical improvement is to find a bigger 'sweet spot' on the willow, not just around the middle. This has led to the famous 'curved' willow seen in Hardik Pandya's hands where the entire bat front, from toe to the sticker, is designed to generate power for the ball to fly away on impact.
Apart from this, it's a matter of individual preference and customisation. The shape of the grip and handle depends on the hand size of players but what's important ultimately is the 'feel' – the player must be comfortable holding the bat in hand, the pick-up should be smooth for the bat to swing nicely as an extension of the arms.
Apart from these functional requirements the bat is a handy instrument for commercial branding, making a personality statement and for social messaging. SRT used a bat with a 'Genius' sticker, 'King' Kohli inherited that tradition and Shubman Gill's latest bat, since he became captain, refers to his princely status in Indian cricket.
Rishabh Pant's bat has RP 17 (his jersey number) and his colour choices (for sticker, rubber grip, logo) reveal a story – the saffron/green/white/ on the bat mirror the colours of India's flag.