Former players are divided in their opinion on the use of double-sided bat with the likes of Doug Walters and Ian Davis calling for a complete ban on the innovation.
Former player John Benaud, however, has voted in favour of the bat after hard-hitter David Warner of New South Wales tested it against South Australia in a domestic Twenty20 match last week.
Warner, who has been named in the Australian Twenty20 squad against South Africa, used the Gray-Nicolls DualT20 bat during his blazing knock of 65 from 35 deliveries against South Australia. The double-sided bat allows him to play a reverse sweep without changing his grip.
Both Walters and Davis are of the view that the double-blade bat would give an unfair advantage to the batsman and therefore has no place in competitive cricket.
"I truly believe it gives the batsman a totally unfair advantage against any bowling attack, but especially when a spinner comes on," Walters said.
"If a bowler must first inform a batsman if he is going to bowl over or around the wicket, why should a batsman be allowed to use a double-sided bat that gives him an unfair advantage? There's no room for it, in my book," he said.
Davis, who is also the General Manager of Slazenger Sports, said, "I wouldn't have used one had they been available in my day because I could never play the sweep, let alone attempt playing the reverse sweep.
"But that's not to say they haven't a place in the game today," he was quoted as saying by The Australian.
However, Benaud's views are totally contrasting.
"If it's legal, and it is, and a batsman gets some success in using it, then fair play to him.
"Until such time as the authorities pass a law that doesn't allow it, only then should the batsman have a rethink about using it," he said.
