Former Australian captain and one of the best batsmen in cricket history, Ricky Ponting, wants modern-day bats to be banned for Test cricket, to restore the balance between bat and ball in Test cricket. The current laws in the sport talk only about the length and the width of the bats, but not the depth and weight. Many players use bats with big edges but they are made from light material that reduces the weight.
In a report published on ESPNcricinfo, Ponting said, “I don’t know how they are doing it to make the size of bats they are making now. The modern day bats and weight in particular — it’s just a completely different game. Full credit to them. If they are there use them, if there’s a better golf club or tennis racquet everyone will use it. It’s nothing against the players.”
He continued, “I would actually say you’ve got a bat you can use in Test cricket and a certain type of bat you can use in one-day cricket and T20 cricket. The short forms of the game survive on boundaries — fours and sixes — whereas the Test game is being dominated too much now by batters because the game is a bit easier for them than it was.”
