There shouldn't be bat restrictions because eventually the game's moving forward: Shane Watson

Modern Cricket is in ethical chaos. Ethical chaos as in there are various new problems that the game as to face thanks to the soaring popularity of T20 cricket. These problems question the very basic fundamentals of the game. Among them, the most debatable factors have been the balance between bat and ball and competitive advantage, Current and former cricketer and experts of the game all have divided opinions.

Most recently, following a two-day conference in Mumbai last week, the Marylebone Cricket Club’s World Cricket Committee delivered six key outcomes led by the recommendation to limit the size of the edges and depth of a bat. The Committee believes the game has tilted too far in the favour of batsmen, who can now find the boundary, or clear it, with a mis-hit when wielding a modern meaty blade.

Although, no major reaction has came after the proposal. Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has firmly put his front foot down in opposition to the proposed restrictions on bat sizes. But Watson says batsmen should not be punished for using bigger bats and it’s the bowlers who need to evolve along with bat technology.

“I don’t think there should be bat restrictions because in the end the game’s always moving forward,” Watson told cricket.com.au.

“Bat companies are always trying to find a competitive advantage. As long as they’re legal, as in there’s not cork or anything (illegal) in them, then you can’t restrict the size of a bat.

“Someone like Chris Gayle uses a three-pound bat, so his bats are naturally going to be bigger but he’s strong enough to be able to lift a bat like that. You’ve got to be better as a bowler.”

“There’s always ways you can try and (avoid) the middle of the bat of a batsman when you’re bowling. Some days are better than others, but there’s always ways and that’s the skill of a bowler to try and evolve and get better.”

The proposed restrictions by the MCC would see bat edges limited to 40mm and bat depths to 67mm, which if approved would be added to the Laws of Cricket and introduced at the start of October 2017. Watson’s former Australia opening partner David Warner would be one player whose bat would be outlawed under the proposed recommendations.

Warner’s Twenty20 bat has a depth of 85mm, 18mm more than the proposed new guidelines would allow. The hard-hitting Watson blasted 245 sixes in his international career to sit behind wrecking ball Adam Gilchrist (262) and run machine Ricky Ponting (246) with the most maximums for Australia.

However, it’s Ponting – a member for the MCC World Cricket Committee – who is at the forefront of restricting bat sizes.

“We have actually come up with some dimensions that we are comfortable with as a committee,” Ponting said.

“When we are talking about changing the size and dimensions of the bat, all we are talking about is the balance between bat and ball and bringing that back.

“We feel that in the last few years that it has actually gone a little bit too far in the favour of batsmen, and it is more about mis-hits going for a six.

“There are top-edges in the game that might travel over fine leg or deep back ward square leg, that doesn’t have to do anything with the size or the shape of the bat. But more so the mis-hits off the toe or the leading edge of the bat that are quite clearly still covering the boundaries. One thing we know is we can’t make the grounds bigger.”