by Aleeza Ahmed
Bat making has been practiced in Kashmir since the early 20th century, with handcrafted willow bats exported across South Asia and to cricket hubs like Australia, prized for their durability and quality.
On the National Highway in Sangam, one of Kashmir’s key bat-making hubs, over 50 factories now operate side by side. In just a decade, Kashmir’s bat production has grown from 250,000 to three million annually – a fifteen-fold leap that reflects the industry’s rapid rise.
One of the most senior staff members, Hassan Kaak, has been working here since 1992 or as he puts it, “since Imran Khan won the World Cup”.
“We’re trying to get better prices and negotiate with the Cricket Bat Union, who hold the license for international exports,” Hassan Kaak explains, gesturing toward stacks of bats ready to be shipped to Australia.
The journey of a cricket bat begins with the Kashmir willow tree, prized for its balance of durability and weight. Native to the region, the willow is cut into billets, raw blocks from which bats are carved. Slightly denser than English willow, it makes for heavier, but more affordable and long-lasting bats. The trees are usually harvested between the ages of 15 and 20 years. The grains that appear on the bat face are the growth rings of the trunk, the patterns of grains determine the quality of the bat.
The trunks are split into three-sided clefts, roughly the length of a bat blade. Still swollen, rough-edged, and heavy with moisture, “It takes two hands to lift one” says Hassan Kaak. The clefts are stacked in tall drying sheds for nearly a year. As they shrink and whiten, losing water and weight, the raw cleft slowly begins to resemble a bat.
Once dried, the willow clefts are carved into bats. The rough ends are trimmed, and each piece passes through a shaping machine, giving the wood its first rough outline. From there, skilled workers begin shaving the blade by hand.
“Handles are typically made from cane or bamboo, with top-grade bamboo imported from Singapore for professional-quality bats,” explains Hussan Kaak. The handle, round on one end and V-shaped on the other, is fitted into a carved slot at the bat’s base and secured with industrial adhesive using a clamp, ensuring it can absorb the impact of the ball. Once joined, the bat undergoes multiple finishing processes to smoothen its surface and refine its final shape.
Once the handle is joined, the bat undergoes several finishing processes to refine its final shape. The blade is shaved down by hand, smoothened, and carefully contoured to ensure balance, proper weight distribution, and a clean grain – crucial for performance on the field.
After drying, the grains stretch across the blade. Darker grains are often preferred by serious players and seasoned professionals.
Thin curls of wood fall as carpenter-turned-bat maker Rajat shaves down the blade, exposing the straight, dark grains beneath: the natural barcode of the tree’s life. The darker lines reveal summer-hardened willow- drier and denser.
Poor finishing weakens the bat’s precision, so workers carefully shave down the joint after the handle is inserted to achieve a flawless join where cane meets willow.
Strength is pressed into the bat as Bashir Ahmed operates the hydraulic press, compressing the willow to harden its fibers and enhance durability. The process flattens the surface, toughens the wood, and prepares the bat to endure the impact of fast-paced games.
Just outside the factory, small shops line the road, an informal ecosystem built around the bat trade. This string, used to wrap the bat handle for grip, is sold by relatives of the factory owners. In this industry, every family plays a part in the business from shaping blades to supplying finishing touches.
Branding happens here for locally sold bats. Stickers, some original, others mimicking global brands like Kookaburra are applied here. Bats meant for export leave the factory unbranded, left for importers to add their own labels. But the ones finished here are displayed outside, lining roadside showrooms for locals and passing tourists.
After their successful use in Men’s T20 and One Day Internationals, Kashmir willow bats made their debut at the 2024 Women’s International T20 World Cup. English willow bats still dominate the market, but Kashmiri bats are catching up. Their presence on this global stage challenges the misconception that Kashmiri bats are heavier or inferior and also signals growing recognition of their improvement in design and quality.
Last year, cricket bats were officially included in the category of notified handicrafts, allowing bat-makers to access welfare schemes under the National Handicraft Development Program. They were also granted a GI (Geographical Indication) tag, a mark of authenticity and promise of quality, placing them alongside Kashmiri icons like Pashmina. Many here hope the move will bring pride, protection, and new growth to the industry.
“The future of bat-making is here,” he shares, reflecting on the industry as many of his favorite players have retired. Now, he looks to the next generation, hoping his children will carry Kashmir’s bat-making craft onto the global stage.
Hassan Kaak is no stranger to the recent buzz around Kashmir willow bats, especially after the Shark Tank controversy, which many in the cricket circuit and the Cricket Bat Manufacturers Association of Kashmir state portrayed one company as the sole face of the industry.
“Look at my white hair,” he laughs. “I’ve been doing this since I was a little boy.”
He believes the focus for young people and the Cricket Bat Manufacturers Association of Kashmir should be on growing profits, safeguarding the craft, and ensuring that its true value reaches the families who have made bats for generations.
