SRINAGAR: After T20 and One day Internationals (ODI), the Kashmir willow cricket bat is finally debuting in Women’s International Cricket.
Valley based sports company, GR8 Sports said its cricket bats and equipment will be used by about half a dozen International cricketers of West Indies women’s team against Pakistan during their Pakistan tour.
“This achievement is a testament to the relentless hard work, expertise, and craftsmanship combined with the utilization of AI based cutting-edge technology at GR8 Sports. We have always believed in pushing boundaries and setting new standards in cricket equipment manufacturing,” Fawzul Kabiir, Managing Director of GR8 Sports told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
Beginning today, the West Indies team will play three ODIs and 5 T20 Internationals against Pakistan.
“The debut of our Kashmir willow bat in Women’s International Cricket not only underscores its superior performance but also serves as a myth buster in the cricketing world. It disproves the misconception that Kashmir willow bats are heavier or inferior to English willow bats, highlighting our commitment to excellence, he added.
Expressing satisfaction, Kabiir said his motive is to end the monopoly of English willow over Kashmir willow in international cricket. “We want to make Kashmir willow cricket bats very common in international cricket. We have seen that our cricket bats were used by the cricket players in both ODI and T20 format so far and our cricket bat hit the longest six in T20 World Cup 2022,” he said.
Kabiir said it took them 14 years of Research and Development to craft the Kashmir willow wood into a professional cricket bat.
“Our relentless hardwork and persistent efforts motivated us to make the major breakthrough in this area. We could finally innovate a product that belongs to our indigenous industry that has a huge scope to uplift this entire industry of Kashmir. It will make us self-sufficient and less reliant on the English Willow imports thereby bringing an impetus to the economy of our country,” said Kabiir.
“With our relentless hard work and research, we have not only made cricket bats lighter ranging from 2.4 lbs to 2.5 lbs but ensured that the ping, balance and stroke is matchless and better than its counterpart,” he added.