Question

Wood used for making cricket bat is got from
A. Tectona grandis
B. Salix alba
C. Morus nigra
D. Cedrus deodara

Answer 1

Hint: The Kashmir Willow and the English Willow are being used in all regions where cricket is played. The willow wood is ideal for professional bat making, providing the requisite properties to create a bat that is light enough and fibrous enough to survive the pressing and ultimate use against a cricket ball.

Complete Answer:
The cricket bat is one of the most important cricket devices used to strike the ball. Each bat has a big handle attached to the face of the bat that is used to strike the ball. The handle, or cane, is surrounded with a rubber grip to provide the batsman with support and safety. The blade of a cricket bat consists of a wooden block that is usually flat on the hitting face and has an edge on the back.

A variety of woods are used for the manufacture of cricket bats, but English willow is the most commonly used wood for the manufacture of professional cricket bats. Salix alba Caerulea (Cricket Bat Willow) is the type of wood used for the manufacture of professional cricket bats all across the globe because it is the only wood that can provide the strength and compression required for the cricket ball.

Another variety of willow used for making bats is the Kashmir willow. Grown in much drier climates, the Kashmir Willow is mainly found in the Indian subcontinent. Conditions lend the wood it's tough and heavy qualities. The bats made from it are a lot tougher than their springy, soft English counterparts.

Thus the correct answer is option B i.e., Salix alba.

Note: The species of the Kashmir willow is the same as the English willow, although the only distinction is that the willow is not cultivated in England. Kashmir willow bats play well and there is no proof that the wood or finished product has different characteristics or performs differently.