KASHMIR WILLOW
OR ENGLISH WILLOW?

SAME TREE, DIFFERENT GROUND.

Kashmir willow and English willow are the same tree: the cricket-bat willow, Salix alba var. caerulea. What changes the wood is where it grows. Rainfall, soil and moisture all shape the timber, and England and Kashmir are the two places best known for growing it.

English willow comes from England. Bat makers generally describe it as softer, lighter for its size and more springy. Professional and international players mostly use it, and good English willow bats are expensive.

Kashmir willow comes from the Kashmir valley in India. Bat makers generally describe it as harder and denser than English willow, so a bat of the same size can feel heavier. It is tough, it suits regular tennis-ball and tape-ball play, and it costs far less.

WHERE KASHMIR WILLOW BATS COME FROM.

Bat-making in Kashmir goes back to the 19th century. The first unit was set up at Halmulla, near Sangam, by Allah Baksh, an industrialist from Sialkot.

Today the industry is concentrated in south Kashmir, along the stretch from Sangam to Awantipora in the Anantnag and Pulwama districts, with hundreds of manufacturing units. Willow clefts are stacked in the open to season before they are shaped into bats.

Kashmir willow has also been gaining recognition:

• 2021: players from Oman used bats made in Halmulla, Sangam at the T20 World Cup. These were reported as the first Kashmir-made bats used by international players.
• 2021 onwards: SKUAST-Kashmir's Faculty of Forestry has worked to identify true cricket-bat willow in the valley. Samples were tested at the Institute of Wood Science and Technology in Bengaluru, and the head of the faculty described the results as on par with English willow. The detailed results haven't been published.
• December 2024: Kashmiri cricket bats were notified as a handicraft. The Bureau of Indian Standards met Kashmir bat makers to plan a standard for professional-level Kashmir willow bats.

The industry also faces a real problem: a shortage of willow. Many farmers have switched to faster-growing poplar, and bat makers have called for new willow plantations.

WHICH ONE FOR TENNIS-BALL CRICKET?

A tennis or tape ball is far lighter than a leather ball and hits the bat with much less force. English willow's springiness is what professionals pay for against a leather ball. With a tennis ball, you feel that difference much less.

That's why most hard-tennis bats are Kashmir willow. A hard-tennis bat is also shaped differently: often with a carved back like the scoop, made for quick swings in gully, box and street cricket.

If you mainly play tennis-ball or tape-ball cricket, a well-chosen Kashmir willow bat is the sensible buy.

IS THERE A KASHMIR WILLOW BAT FOR LEATHER BALL?

Yes. Some Kashmir willow bats are made for leather-ball practice. A hard-tennis bat is not one of them. A season or leather ball can crack a bat built and shaped for tennis balls, so check what a bat is made for before you play.

Our bat, ZERO, is a hard-tennis bat. A leather ball will damage it, and that damage isn't covered.

WHAT TO CHECK IN A KASHMIR WILLOW BAT.

Willow is natural, and quality varies. Sources on the industry note that other willow types are sometimes used in place of true cricket-bat willow. Before you buy, look for:

• Weight you can control. A bat you can swing quickly beats a heavy bat you can't.
• Balance. Pick it up in your stance. It should move with your hands, not drag at the toe.
• The grain. Look for straight grain down the face and no visible cracks. An unoiled bat lets you see the wood clearly.
• Handle and grip. A cane handle and a grip that fits your hands matter over a long game.
• Honest information. Real photos, a stated weight range and a clear exchange policy show the seller stands behind the bat.

QUESTIONS.