A forecast crackdown on bat sizes by the International Cricket Council on the eve of the World Cup has been met with raised eyebrows by players and manufacturers, who believe there are other reasons to blame for the "unfair" balance between bat and ball.
The bulging of bats will be no more evident than with the one to be used at this month's 50-over tournament by West Indian Chris Gayle, whose bat has 45 millimetre edges, and the imposing willow wielded by Australia's David Warner.
And less than three weeks after South Africa's AB de Villiers smashed the fastest one-day international hundred in history, taking only 31 balls to reach the milestone, the sport's governing body has indicated a move towards reining in the size of bats.
ICC chief executive David Richardson said the balance between batsman and bowler "may have shifted a bit too much".
"No one begrudges an AB de Villiers, who plays some superb shots," Richardson said. "Him, Brendon McCullum, Kumar Sangakkara, they are exceptionally talented and no one minds if they hit some great shots which go for six. But where some batsmen are mishitting balls and it is just carrying over the rope and going for a six instead of being caught at the boundary, that is what some cricket people believe has become unfair.
"The MCC (World Cricket Committee), as law makers, and the ICC will be looking at giving perhaps some consideration to placing limitations on the depth of a bat in particular."
Richardson told ESPNCricinfo that in the interim boundary ropes would be pushed back to at least 90 metres "where possible" at the World Cup.
The pending action on bat sizes was short-sighted, manufacturers argued, instead pointing to other modifications that had altered the one-day game, such as reduced boundaries, the use of two new white balls in an innings and the restrictions on fielders outside the circle. The bat dimensions permitted in the laws of cricket are up to 96.5 centimetres in length and 10.8 centimetres wide.
"It's got nothing to do with the bat sizes," said Spartan Sports owner Kunal Sharma, who is Gayle's bat provider. "It's purely because you're using a brand new ball for the first 20 overs. I've got cricket bats here in my business and they're half the size and they ping just as much. Its' only a psychological thing in your mind."
Greg Eime, the brand manager at Gunn & Moore, agreed, saying smaller grounds were a big factor.
"Effectively the game has changed and the way the batsmen play has changed," Eime said. "It's a combination of a lot of things, even down to the players' physical fitness and strength. To go finger pointing at the bats, I don't think that's quite fair."
Michael Reid, the sponsor manager at Gray-Nicolls, said there had been "a number of changes to the game which contribute to the higher scores and so forth ... not necessarily the bat sizes."
India's Rohit Sharma has twice posted ODI double hundreds in the past 15 months and de Villiers' jaw-dropping century last month came only a year after New Zealand's Corey Anderson broke the previous record for the fastest ton, setting the new mark at 36 deliveries.
The sentiments from players echoed those of manufacturers on Wednesday. All-rounder Dan Christian responded to reports of Richardson's comments on social media, posting: "2 x 200's, and fastest 100 broken twice, all since 2 new balls and only 4 fielders out rule came in".
Former Test opener Ed Cowan replied: "Bingo. That IS the issue. Bats may have changed 5% in last 10 years but easy target to blame."
The ICC is also intent on improving umpire safety, particularly following the death of an umpire in Israel in November when he was struck by a ball that ricocheted of the stumps.
The issue is an important one, says Sydney umpire Karl Wentzel, who wears a helmet officiating in first grade games after having five teeth knocked out when he was hit while umpiring at the bowler's end in 2001.
"The power of the bats today are so strong that the speed in which the ball leaves the bat is just phenomenal," Wentzel said.
"I've umpired a number of games with David Warner playing and said to myself, 'I'm very pleased that I'm wearing a helmet'. The blokes are hitting the ball so hard these days, you barely have any time to react. There is bound to be a freak accident at some point."
