The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has ruled out the idea of bats being made from bamboo as it believes it would be “illegal” under the current set of rules governing the game.
Earlier according to a study by Darshil Shah and Ben Tinkler-Davies from the University of Cambridge, bats made from bamboo are economically sustainable and are also stronger than the ones made from willow, which has been used since the beginning of the game.
“Currently, law 5.3.2 states that the blade of the bat must consist solely of wood, so for bamboo (which is a grass) to be considered as a realistic alternative to willow would require a law change,” MCC said in a statement on Monday.
“Importantly, the law would need to be altered to allow bamboo specifically, as even if it were to be recognised as a wood, this would still be illegal under the current law, which bans lamination of the blade, except in junior bats,” it added.
The researchers have also found that the bats made form bamboo are stiffer, harder and stronger than those made of willow.
“The sweet spot on a bamboo bat makes it much easier to hit a four off a Yorker for starters, but it’s exciting for all kinds of strokes,” Shah had said in the report.