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[Johnny]

I think i'm with you Tom. Both parties ought to be punished. Would love to see the authorities crack down on it. Maybe we could form a CBF vigilante bat squad!

[Johnny]

i think a part of the solution has to be getting rid of the supply. Folk on here go crazy for the TK Lams and will seemingly pay good money. Ultimately it shouldnt be allowed

[Black Cat Cricket]

Hard for the MCC to do any more, other than enforce it at a professional level. They are banned in any game played under MCC laws. We've all played in Pub games with 8 ball overs, no LBW etc. etc. These games aren't played under MCC laws, and the batmakers will just say the bats are made for use in such games. The MCC cannot ban someone for making a cricket bat full stop, it can only outlaw it in any game of cricket it governs.

It is rather like seatbelts, it is the law to wear one (and make cars with them) intended for use on the public road (where the government has authority); however they cannot make you wear a seatbelt if you're driving on a private race track.

[PM7]

Its all well and good us debating on the forum the legalities of laminated bats but I cant see them vanishing
Id imagine that there is at least one batsman in every international match using a laminated bat.
Didnt Ponting use one during the Ashes? Some of the Indian batsmen are using spectacularly large bats but that doesnt imply they are Lams. I saw just last week a Malik bat used by Sohail Tanveer that was a blatant Lam.
As long as there is a demand then there will be a supplier rest assured.

[Tom]

Agree Charlie - they can't stop X brand selling or making illegal bats. But they can make it significantly more difficult for them to sell them by a producing a release making clear they're illegal for use in MCC regulated games and taking them off the ICC approved supplier list. Thereby minimising their endorsements.

[Johnny]

don't the MCC have some governance over bat makers? What about the A grade labels they now have to apply? If a manufacturer is knowingly applying an A grade label to a non-compliant bat, then surely someone somewhere should be able to step in and do something?

[Black Cat Cricket]

Is it fair to take them off the ICC approved supplier list because they made a bat that they'd say they sold explicitly not for use in an MCC game? I don't think that'd stick...

Ferrari make track-only cars. Are you going to ban them from selling their ordinary cars because some people drive their track cars on the road?

[Black Cat Cricket]

don't the MCC have some governance over bat makers? What about the A grade labels they now have to apply? If a manufacturer is knowingly applying an A grade label to a non-compliant bat, then surely someone somewhere should be able to step in and do something?

I'm not sure an MCC A Grade sticker being applied to a laminate is the main problem here...!  Laminates aren't officially being sold, so they wouldn't apply such a sticker.  Again though, the batmaker wouldn't apply such a sticker (even if they were officially sold) as they'd say they're not intended for use in MCC governed games.

[Tom]

If you want a bat to be able to be used in MCC regulated games it needs a Type sticker. A, B or C.

If you produce an incorrectly graded bat the MCC can contact the MCC and national governing bodies to ban the bats from all authorised cricket.

[Tom]

Is it fair to take them off the ICC approved supplier list because they made a bat that they'd say they sold explicitly not for use in an MCC game? I don't think that'd stick...

Ferrari make track-only cars. Are you going to ban them from selling their ordinary cars because some people drive their track cars on the road?

It would depend on if they'd stickered it up in their livery and the MCC type A sticker is there. If it's used in a First Class game and the Type A sticker isn't there, then ban the player. If it's used in a First Class game and the Type a sticker is there, ban them both.

The Type A sticker is akin to a registration plate on a Ferrari.

[Black Cat Cricket]

If you want a bat to be able to be used in MCC regulated games it needs a Type sticker. A, B or C.

If you produce an incorrectly graded bat the MCC can contact the MCC and national governing bodies to ban the bats from all authorised cricket.

Isn't the point that the batmaker will say it isn't intended for such use, and it is the player that is at fault?  Hence why it is almost impossible for the MCC to do anything more...

[Tom]

Isn't the point that the batmaker will say it isn't intended for such use, and it is the player that is at fault?  Hence why it is almost impossible for the MCC to do anything more...

The batmaker shouldn't have put any grading sticker on it then. A grading sticker means that the batmaker has allowed it to be used in MCC games.

As I said before, if there's no grading sticker and the player uses it. Ban the player. If there is a sticker and the player uses it. Ban them both.

[PM7]

What about players that sticker up their own bats without their sponsors knowledge?
Im assuming that not all brands check the actual bat that displays their livery before the sponsored batsman heads out to bat.

[johnnyw]

What about players that sticker up their own bats without their sponsors knowledge?
Im assuming that not all brands check the actual bat that displays their livery before the sponsored batsman heads out to bat.

Stickering up softs is worse in my eyes

[Tom]

What about players that sticker up their own bats without their sponsors knowledge?
Im assuming that not all brands check the actual bat that displays their livery before the sponsored batsman heads out to bat.

If you're giving out stickers to players you're ultimately responsible for what they go on in my eyes. After all, they're gonna take the credit if he scores a ton with that bat.