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[Cover_Drive]

I always wanted to make this topic but due to one reason or another I wasn't really able to make one.

Anyways, over the past year or so I gained lot of knowledge on bats (thanks to all lovely people here and more importantly to this forum) so over summer I met pretty much all of Pakistani contracted players [like of Misbah Ul Haq, Younis Khan, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Taufeeq Umar, Asad Shafiq and lots of new young players] and saw there bats.

Over my stay here I have noticed one thing and thats people rate Pro bats as they have come from heaven!

Having seen few pro bats and owning few myself I can safely assure myself that pro bats are not really different than what we buy from store. Some of the pro bats I saw for example Younis Khan's CA, Misbah Uk Haq's bat and Umar Akmal's GM Flare they were 'big' than regular ones sold in market but then some bats of other players there wasn't really anything different from what we would get in the market. In fact, some pro bats looked horrible [I'm sure if they were to be put on sale on CBF without 'Pro' label no one would buy it] but performed exceptionally well.

So my opinion is that some pro bats are really massive, look nice as we all know but then most are just normal bats like us. It is the player rather than the bat after all.

[Manormanic]

So my opinion is that some pro bats are really massive, look nice as we all know but then most are just normal bats like us. It is the player rather than the bat after all.

Pretty much spot on - indeed, there are often better looking bats out there - I know a lot of the bigger manufacturers grade their bats for pros seperately, so something that might be sold as G2 or even three on looks goes to a pro because it has the right structure to perform well.

[Hads45]

I agree its the batsman.

However, there is a difference in real good bats and average/good bats. I mean a real good bat performance wise, you will see a difference when you swing your hardest/time the ball and I think you will see it goes a little bit better. But there is no such thing as a bat where you just block it "and it goes flying".
 
I should say , and I know for a fact, all the Australian team are absolutely amazed by Watsons bats, and are apparently lightyears the best bats in the Australian team. Dont know exactly why etc, but just showing there could be a difference between some pros bats. I think you find shield/county cricketers bats woudlnt be that much better than ours.

[Manormanic]

I should say , and I know for a fact, all the Australian team are absolutely amazed by Watsons bats, and are apparently lightyears the best bats in the Australian team. Dont know exactly why etc, but just showing there could be a difference between some pros bats. I think you find shield/county cricketers bats woudlnt be that much better than ours.

Don't think you can even be that specific - I mean, there are several accounts of how Nick Knight liked his bats to have a low, flat middle which meant that to anyone else they picked up like driftwood, and I know from using one in a net about 18 months back that Michael Vaughan used to use some very odd, waferlike bats, whilst Chris Silverwood of all people used to get some absolute beauties.

[Cover_Drive]

I agree, performance in pro bats is definitely guaranteed but then we can say there bats could be pressed softer and different than off shelf bats. However, our bats can open up and perform as good as their bats if not better. But then pro make better use of the bats compared to us.

I believe if we use a bat for 2-3 season (just one same bat) it would ping as well as pro bats at its peak if we were to compare the performance of both our and pro bats.

I think Watsons bat is quite big in shape that's what GM Players bat picture said. Maybe that's why they are amazed, how light it feels despite being huge? Even Umar Akmals bat was quite big for its weight

[Six Sixes Cricket]

Michael Vaughan claimed on radio two months ago he wasn't bothered about his bats and was happy to just take one off the shelf. Remember pros have this thing called ability and timing.

[Manormanic]

Michael Vaughan claimed on radio two months ago he wasn't bothered about his bats and was happy to just take one off the shelf. Remember pros have this thing called ability and timing.

He seemed pretty particular that day!  Flintoff was the ultimate non-carer - remember he once tore the cellophane wrapper off a bat as he walked in to bat!

[tim2000s]

Cover_Drive, you are pretty much correct. It's the player not the bat. All you can really say about the bats that the contracted pros use is that they won't be given any duds.

[Simmy]

I always wanted to make this topic but due to one reason or another I wasn't really able to make one.

Anyways, over the past year or so I gained lot of knowledge on bats (thanks to all lovely people here and more importantly to this forum) so over summer I met pretty much all of Pakistani contracted players [like of Misbah Ul Haq, Younis Khan, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Taufeeq Umar, Asad Shafiq and lots of new young players] and saw there bats.

Over my stay here I have noticed one thing and thats people rate Pro bats as they have come from heaven!

Having seen few pro bats and owning few myself I can safely assure myself that pro bats are not really different than what we buy from store. Some of the pro bats I saw for example Younis Khan's CA, Misbah Uk Haq's bat and Umar Akmal's GM Flare they were 'big' than regular ones sold in market but then some bats of other players there wasn't really anything different from what we would get in the market. In fact, some pro bats looked horrible [I'm sure if they were to be put on sale on CBF without 'Pro' label no one would buy it] but performed exceptionally well.

So my opinion is that some pro bats are really massive, look nice as we all know but then most are just normal bats like us. It is the player rather than the bat after all.

WAY! At last some on that knows! pro bats are just same as any other bat we can get just they get pick of the wood that is all

[Tumo]

He seemed pretty particular that day!  Flintoff was the ultimate non-carer - remember he once tore the cellophane wrapper off a bat as he walked in to bat!

To be fair, I've picked up a few of his bats. They were pretty special, he must have picked up some pretty good stock bats...

[Vic Nicholas]

This thread is a load of (No Swearing Please).

I have in my hands a bat with 35mm edges and weighing in at 2.8.

That my friends is a pro bat.

And for our good mate Majid, it has "pro ping".

The only difference between us and the pros is that they put their special bats to better use.

However, if you think for one second that they would use something off the shelf, you are dreaming.

Guys like Strauss and Cook not only select the wood they want, they sit there and WATCH the bat maker make the bat. Matty Hayden, Andrew Symonds etc also do this.

To me that sounds like someone who wants the BEST competitive advantage they can get.

So all the players in the Oz dressing room are stunned at the size of Watsons bat? Well they aren't looking hard because Usman Khawaja is using a GN with 41mm edges!

[tim2000s]

Guys like Strauss and Cook not only select the wood they want, they sit there and WATCH the bat maker make the bat. Matty Hayden, Andrew Symonds etc also do this.

To me that sounds like someone who wants the BEST competitive advantage they can get.

Maybe, but a fair number of players don't...

[Tom]

Vic - I've sourced, supplied and seen used the bats for at least 2 of the names above. You're the one talking (No Swearing Please).

[langer17]

I would say that Khawaja's E41 would have 41mm edges, but the ones at the shop don't (mainly lower end ones do) due to strength concerns so that may be difference there. They are still massive though.

I would say that the pro bats are simply bigger for the weight, that would be the only differnce I think.

[Tom]

Here's some pro bats that you may be interested in, Vic.


This is Symond's Goose, made by Tim Keeley.
Weight 2lb 9oz
Edges 31mm



Symonds' Gray Nicolls, used in a few of the IPL games.
Weight 2lb 8 1/2 oz
Edges 29mm



Gilchrist's Puma, used at Middlesex
Weight 2lb 9oz
Edges 33mm