Mumbai: After seeing the cricketers using coloured bat in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia, Spartan Sports, a sporting gear and equipment company want their ambassador Mahendra Singh Dhoni to use the coloured bat in the next IPL (Indian Premier League) season.
Dhoni is captain of the Rising Pune Supergiants team.
"Dhoni is more than welcome to use a coloured bat (in IPL). He is such an amazing role model, influential cricketer and kids look up to him," Cameron Merchant, the cricket manager at the Spartan Sports, said.
Besides India’s limited over captain Dhoni, Spartan has also signed former Australian captain Michael Clarke, West Indies batsman Chris Gayle, England’s Alastair Cook and Eoin Morgan, Australia's pacer Mitchell Johnson, former cricket great Sir Viv Richards and Sri Lanka's woman cricketer Sripali Weerakkody.
Andre Russell, the 29-year-old Sydney Thunder player, was recently banned for using black bat in BBL because it was discovered that the bat left visible marks on the ball. While Merchant made it clear that the West Indian was not the first one cricketer to use a coloured bat, he said that the Spartan Sports are not sure how Russell’s bat left marks on the white ball.
"Aidan Blizzard (Sydney Thunder) has used a green coloured bat whereas Mitch Johnson (Perth Scorchers) has used orange bat," Merchant, who played First Class cricket in New Zealand, said.
"The coloured bat is allowed in T20 franchise competitions around the world. Cricket Australia have allowed it with the colours to be the same majority as clubs, i.e Sydney Thunder are black and green so we can have either a full green bat or black bat," he added.
"Spartan Sports originally came up with the idea with Chris Gayle with the original coloured bat of the Golden bat in last years' BBL," he added.
"We thought how can we make the game even more exciting and appealing for the fans and kids and make them smile. If it gets kids enjoying the game and participating in cricket then we are happy."
"We are unsure how Russell's bat had marks on ball but we have gone to precautionary measures and quality control to make sure that it is completely covered so that at no time will the ball come in contact with any colour," he signed off.
