Ricky Ponting calls for greater regulation of bat size in Test cricket

New Delhi: In a bid to ensure greater balance between bat and ball in Test cricket, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting called for regulation on the size and weight of bats.

"I don't know how they are doing it to make the size of bats they are making now," Ponting was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. "The modern day bats and weight in particular -- it's just a completely different game. Full credit to them. If they are there use them, if there's a better golf club or tennis racquet everyone will use it. It's nothing against the players.

"If you are strong enough to use them that's fine, but you should not get a bat that's bigger in size than [MS] Dhoni's but a whole lot lighter. Chris Gayle's the same. Everyone talks about Chris Gayle's bat size, but it's 3½ lbs. He's big enough and strong enough to use it. I only get worried when they are really big and really light," he added.

According to present cricket rules, only length and width of bats are limited and not the depth or weight. This loophole in the rule has been perceivably been exploited by many batsmen.

Ponting is expected to make his concerns heard at the next meeting of the MCC's World Cricket Committee at Lord's early next week.

"I think it will happen," he said. "I am going in a couple of weeks for a World Cricket Committee meeting and that will be one of the topics talked about. I don't mind it for the shorter versions of the game.

"I would actually say you've got a bat you can use in Test cricket and a certain type of bat you can use in one-day cricket and T20 cricket. The short forms of the game survive on boundaries - fours and sixes - whereas the Test game is being dominated too much now by batters because the game is a bit easier for them than it was," he reasoned.

Respected as one of greats of the game, Ponting scored 13,378 runs at an impressive average of 51.85 in his 168 Tests.