The 2017-18 Ashes in Australia could be played with smaller bats.
The MCC’s cricket committee, chaired by former England captain Mike Brearley, believe the balance has ‘tilted too far in the batsman’s favour’, with mis-hits regularly clearing the boundary.
One proposal, which would need to be approved by the MCC’s main committee as part of the new code of laws to take effect from October 2017, is for a bat’s edge to be no more than 35-40mm thick (current bats can measure up to 55mm), and its depth to be 60-65mm (some measure up to 80mm).
An MCC press release added: ‘Furthermore, it was felt that there is a clear safety concern for close fielders, bowlers and umpires. Balls are flying into nearby residential properties with increasing frequency, thus threatening the existence of some smaller cricket clubs.’ – Daily Mail