Ponting calls for regulation of bat size in Test cricket

Expressing concern over the size and weight of bats used in Test cricket, former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting on Tuesday said he will take up the matter at the next meeting of the Marylebone Cricket Club's world cricket committee at Lord's early next week.

The World Cup-winning skipper called for regulation of size to ensure a greater balance between bat and ball as the current laws only limit the length and width of bats, not the depth or weight.

Ponting said he had no problem with such bats being used in the shorter formats but believed they should be banned from Test cricket.

"I think it will happen. I am going in a couple of weeks for a world cricket committee meeting and that will be one of the topics talked about. I don't mind it for the shorter versions of the game," Ponting was quoted as saying by espncricinfo.

"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."

Ponting argued that the main issue was the use of lightweight materials with extremely thick edges, like the ones used by Aussie opener David Warner.

The Tasmanian, however, has no problems if players use big bats as long as they were also heavy.

"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."

"If you are strong enough to use them that's fine, but you should not get a bat that's bigger in size than Mahendra Singh Dhoni's but a whole lot lighter. Chris Gayle's the same. Everyone talks about Gayle's bat size, but it's three and half lbs. He's big enough and strong enough to use it. I only get worried when they are really big and really light," the right-hander said.

--IANS

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