ICC considering crackdown on bat size

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering a limit on bat size less than two weeks before the 2015 World Cup beginning February 14 in Australia and New Zealand.

The ICC chief executive Dave Richardson feels the balance in the modern-day cricket "may have shifted a little bit too much" towards the batsman, especially in limited overs cricket.

"The balance may have shifted a little bit too much because sometimes poor shots or mis-hits are going for six," Richardson was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

"Let us try and rectify that. What we have done up until now is try and maximize the size of the boundary. You will see for the World Cup, most of the grounds in Australia in particular, which allow for big playing surfaces, boundary ropes will be pushed back to at least 90 yards where possible," Richardson said.

New milestones have been achieved by batsmen frequently off late, the most recent being AB de Villiers' recording breaking hundred off 31 balls, surpassing the effort of Corey Anderson, who had reached three figures less than a year ago off 36 balls.

"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.

"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.

"The bats are so good these days that the sweet spot is much larger than it would have been 10-15 years ago. 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," said Richardson.

However, MCC's World Cricket Committee had decided against changes to the law governing bat size. According to Appendix E of the Laws of Cricket, the length of the bat is limited to 38 inches and the width to 4.25 inches.