Manufacturing unit owner anticipates more players will adopt Kashmir willow
SRINAGAR: In a remarkable achievement, the Kashmiri bat featured in a third consecutive T20 World Cup on Monday as two players from Oman played with it.
Speaking with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), those associated with this industry expressed delight that the Kashmiri bat is getting the fame it deserves. They expect more teams to use the Kashmiri bats.
There are around 400 bat manufacturing units in the industrial area from Sangam to Awantipora in south Kashmir and the bat of a single unit represents the whole bat industry.
Fawzul Kabiir, a 32-year-old MBA graduate from the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) Awantipora, who is pursuing PhD from a university in DCU Ireland, said that after hectic efforts, his bat has reached the international stage.
“Today two players of Oman – Mehran Khan and Bilal Khan – played with our bats in the T20 World Cup 2024. These were manufactured at GR8 Sports India Pvt Ltd in the Halmulla Sangam area of Anantnag,” he said.
Kabiir, whose late father founded the bat manufacturing unit, expressed his pride and satisfaction at seeing their bats reach the international stage.
He said the demand for Kashmiri bats has surged in the international market since their debut. “Our company has also supplied bats and protective gear to players from various countries, and we anticipate more players will adopt Kashmiri bats in the future,” he said.
“We are thrilled that Kashmiri bats have emerged as a viable alternative to English willow bats. We can produce these high-quality bats at a much lower cost compared to English willow,” Kabiir added.