Cricket World Cup: ICC May Put Checks on Bats to Make Game Fair

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering placing limitations on the depth of a bat with less than a fortnight left for the World Cup to begin to restore the balance between batsman and bowler. (Complete coverage of the World Cup)

ICC chief executive David Richardson has said the balance between batsman and bowler "may have shifted a bit too much" in favour of the former.

"No one begrudges an AB de Villiers, who plays some superb shots, Brendon McCullum, Kumar Sangakkara, they are exceptionally talented and no one minds if they hit some great shots which go for six," Richardson was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday. (Related: Sledging remains a concern ahead of the World Cup)

"But where some batsmen are mishitting balls and it is just carrying over the rope and going for a six instead of being caught at the boundary, that is what some cricket people believe has become unfair," he said.

"The MCC (World Cricket Committee), as law makers, and the ICC will be looking at giving perhaps some consideration to placing limitations on the depth of a bat in particular," he added.

The idea, however, has been met with criticism from bat manufacturers who said they do not think it is quite "fair" to reduce the width of a bat.

Greg Eime, the brand manager at Gunn and Moore, said smaller grounds were a big factor for batsmen mishitting balls for sixes.

"Effectively the game has changed and the way the batsmen play has changed," Eime said.

"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."

Michael Reid, the sponsor manager at bat manufacturer Gray-Nicolls, 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."