Cricket bats of Kashmir | Wind within the willow

The Kashmir willow, lengthy thought-about an inferior bat to its English counterpart, has lastly hit the candy spot. But a scarcity of willow bushes within the valley threatens to undo that hard-earned recognition

BATTING HIGHS: Clefts stacked up for drying at a bat manufacturing unit in Awantipora. (Photographs by Abid Bhat)

Halmulla,ISSUE DATE: Sep 18, 2023 | UPDATED: Sep 7, 2023 20:16 IST

Fawzul Kabeer seems to be a tad overwhelmed, guiding staff at his cricket bat manufacturing unit at Halmulla in south Kashmir’s Anantnag, as they fine-tune those prepared for despatch. “We have to ready 300 cricket bats for 20 international players in this World Cup. Half the order is complete but we are working late into the evenings to get the rest ready,” says Kabeer, whose unit is the one one within the Valley to fulfill ICC (International Cricket Council) specs for cricket bats. Cricketers from three groups—Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan—will probably be taking part in the ICC one-day worldwide cricket World Cup in October with bats produced by his firm, which fits by the modish title GR8 Sports. “It is a proud moment for our industry,” says Kabeer. “For the first time, bats from our unit will be used in an ODI World Cup. It will end the monopoly of the English willow.”