Sharjah : Matthew Hayden's innings with the Mongoose bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has made an impact among the cricketers in the UAE.
Ali Anwar Jafri of the Sharjah Cricket Council and owner of AJ Sports, one of the leading sports shops in the UAE, has already started to sell the bat.
"I had flown in 20 Mongoose bats nearly six months ago but they had remained unsold. Following the publicity generated by the bat in the IPL, cricketers are now regularly coming to our shops in Dubai and Sharjah requesting for this bat," said Jafri, who has also sold a few Mongoose bats from his sports shop located in Wimbledon in England.
"The power of every cricket bat has increased with manufactures making sure that the sweet spot is made thicker. Bats are now very light and not pressed. Such bats are good for professionals but not for club level cricketers. These bats may have lots of power but less longevity," said Jafri, who was a fine leg spinner during his playing days.
"Hard hitters want a lot of meat in the middle and I recently happened to see Yusuf Pathan's bat. It was unbelievably thick in the middle. Though such bats may not last long, professional cricketers do not mind using it because most of the bats are given to them by sponsors and they do not have to pay from their pocket."
The Mongoose bat is being sold for Dh300 and UAE's hardest hitters are likely to use it in the coming tournaments.
