A forecast crackdown on bat sizes by the Int'l Cricket
Council on the eve of the World Cup "has been met with raised eyebrows by
players and manufacturers," who believe there are other reasons to blame
for the "unfair" balance between bat and ball, according to Chris Barrett of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Less than three weeks after South Africa's AB de
Villiers smashed the fastest one-day int'l hundred in history,
taking only 31 balls to reach the milestone, "the sport's governing body
has indicated a move towards reining in the size of bats." ICC CEO David Richardson said the balance between batsman and bowler "may have shifted a bit too much." The "pending action on bat sizes was short-sighted, manufacturers argued, instead pointing to other modifications that had altered the one-day game, such as reduced boundaries, the use of two new white balls in an innings and the restrictions on fielders outside the circle." Spartan Sports Owner Kunal Sharma said, "It's got nothing to do with the bat sizes" (SMH, 2/4). IANS reported Gunn and Moore Brand Manager Greg Eime said that "smaller grounds were a big factor for batsmen mishitting balls for sixes." Eime: "Effectively the game has changed and the way the batsmen play has changed. It's a combination of a lot of things, even down to the players' physical fitness and strength. To go finger pointing at the bats, I don't think that's quite fair." Bat manufacturer Gray-Nicolls Sponsor Manager Michael Reid said there has been "a number of changes to the game which contribute to the higher scores and so forth. Not necessarily the bat sizes" (IANS, 2/4).
