Thank you so much for this video! Super informative and laid out so clearly; definitely will keep this in mind next time I get a new bat. I definitely was one of those people too who are obsessed with getting the bat with the most grains, two tone wood etc etc.. I had my suspicions later on that I was being foolish but this really cleared it up for me :) Again, awesome to hear the thoughts of such a great and experienced player about this, we'd all love it if you made more videos like this :)
cmon Usman - how to pick a bat - go to sports shop, pick up a few bats - play a few air shots as if you know what you doing - talk crap to the assistant - buy cheapest one.
Never comfortable with round handles, oval for me as well.. i personally prefer a well balanced bat even if it's on the heavier side, too light i sub consciously believe have to hit the ball hard to make it go over the fence whereas with a decent 2.8 2.9 weight you'll want to time the ball because you know the power is there. Great video
HUMBLE ADVICE. Hello, Usman. An international cricketer sharing hi experience, this deserves attention (more than it has). Get a better thumbnail. That is what grabs a viewer more. Maybe make the video in nets and not in the room. And get uptodate thumbnail editing services.
*Not a fan of squared toe though - Many at times it gets stuck in the ground when you are grounding the bat at reaching the crease while running between the wickets. Many players have gotten run out or fallen and got hurt because the corner of the square toe stocked in the ground.*
i agree the sq toe is a purely preference, ive seen bats with round toes that perform much better for mishits because the balance of the weight is better as well. But some players just need to feel like their bat can tap the ground so its all preference
*There is only one way to choose the bat.* *Ignore the stickers, ignore the brand, ignore the model ..... Pick the bat and feel the sweet spot. If the back lift accurately sends a message to your brain to know exactly where the middle spot is, while you swing it, then THAT'S the bat for you.* *Every player has different muscle strength/flexibility, ligament structure and pivot angle. A bat that is VERY GOOD pick n feel for one player may be horrible for another player - and then always remember ,,,, playing with a Kohli's bat will NOT make you play like Kohli. So don't spend crazy amount of money on the scammers trying to sell $1200 worth bats.*
Ive been hsing 2 8 since i was 11. I wasalready 5’ 7 and i didnt have a harrow bat, and so when i started hardball cricket, i started with a very expensive SH, since junior bats are so much cheaper, i had to spend so much respectively just for a bellow average timber. So i was forced to use adukt weight when i only had the strength of a child when I WAS a child.
interesting no mention of the quality of cane used in the handle. A handle that starts off as a thick single piece of cane will be stiff as a broom not ideal. A handle made from much more expensive and in short supply made from initially glueing 16 pieces of together then placed in a lathe and turned until required shape is attained will be much more flexible and highly desirable imho. Think of this idea as being analogous to correct shaft in a golf club. The downside to using multiple pieces if sarawak cane being manufacturing process more labour intensive and therefore more expensive
Don't over think it my friend. Ping is definitely effected by handle and composition. But it's not something you can choose off a shelf for the common cricketer.
definitely agree best multi cane handles not available off the shelf for the common cricketer. I've visited Grey Nicholls factory in England a few times over the years where they have a storage room set aside for their big name clients and there were a few with multi section handles but hideously expensive if a 'retail' customer wants to order something similiar
Spot on about the grain, I work as a cricket specialist and too many people focus on the grains. The feel in your hands is the most important thing, then you can worry about ping and then the rest. Grain is purely aesthetic
Can you define what a ping is? I don't really get what people do or look for, when tapping their knuckles/finger like that on the bat. I get it when the ball sounds good off it. But when not having a ball, what can we do? Or how do we check the "ping"?
Two things you can look for, how much bounce comes off, so feel for how much it comes off the bat. The other thing is the sound, but usually only people who have been hitting bats for a while like sales people or batmakers can differentiate the sounds as you gotta tune your ear. My best advice, buy a bat in a cricket specialist store, they’ll be able to tell you everything about the bats and tell what has good ping etc
