Asian Manufacturers

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New Calypsonians CC

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Asian Manufacturers

I would like to start a discussion/guide to the asian manufacturer. Considering this is where most cricket equipment is made, how much difference is there between the UK and Asian brands?

Are we taking away jobs from the UK by buying Asian brands?

How will they affect the UK professional scene if UK sponsors do not see a return on their investment by sponsoring players?

I say this owning a pair of MB leg pads and UT bat.Both were purchased for me by a friend who went to Pakistan on holiday. I dont think they are available for purchase here in the UK.
To highlight the situation I will include 2 links: one is an Asian company with a UK website:
www.jndsports.com

The second is a small mail order business based in the UK, who only sells personally imported Asian brands:
www.zeesports.co.uk
 
Re: Asian Manufacturers

From working within the industry, I know pretty much all equipment (soft leather) has been made in India or Pakistan for the past 10 years or more. In that respect there isn't that much difference in quality although you do have to know what you're looking for, as when they make bad kit, it's very bad!

The only thing that has been predominantly English made were cricket bats but even they are now being mass produced in Asia to help keep costs down. (Obviously bats are still made in the UK but the bat maker is a dying breed so it generally tends to be the 'top end' bats)

If you consider that the last rise in willow prices was around the 30% mark and the next rise will be in the region of 15% you can understand why manufacturers have turned to cheap labour in order to keep the costs down.

As for it affecting UK players then I don't really think its going to be a problem, kit is cheap to produce and giving away a few thousand pair of pads a season won't bite into the profits too much - anyway, in some cases players may only be getting a big discount and not actually free kit.

As for the two links, then its worth considering the large and growing Asian population of the UK who in many cases support the team of their forefathers first and England second. These importers and shops are set up to cater for them specifically as they want the same bat as Tendulkar etc.

However, the same goes for the British kids who follow England as they'll always want the latest kit being used by KP and co so I don't think its really going to hurt anyone. If anything it merely gives access to a larger choice of kit, which is a good thing for the consumer.
 
Re: Asian Manufacturers

I think it will hurt the sales and marketing people whiuch are uk based. Thats where most of the premium cost comes from in UK brands. They pay for advertising in cricket magazines and match side-boards to promote their brands to the uk public. Asian brands currently do not do this, however they may do in the future if Asian brands see the return on investment (ROI) in marketing/adverstising that makes it worthwhile them hiring UK staff.

By buying direct from Asia I have also cut out UK distributors.

Even if it is just a shift change people will lose their jobs at GM,GN,etc and have to apply for positions at MRF CAS,BDM, and in turn may find themselves agreeing to a job with less pension and other benefits.

But my main question is quality: how do you pick a good quality in asian brands? It seems the gloves still need alot to be desired. English willow is still top.
 
Re: Asian Manufacturers

What are the best Asian brands? Shall we talk specifically a bit about bats for the moment. That is teh most expensive bit of kit and I think the most important. Technically if you are top bat you arent getting hit on the pads much so it doesnt really matter.

RNS, MRF and BDM, CA are up there.
How does Ihsan, Hero Honda, SS Sunridges, Brittania, AM, SF( or Sanford I think it is), SG, AS rate?


I just realised though that picking a difference between them is difficult as we probably couldnt agree on a pecking order between Gray Nicholls, Newbery, GM, woodworm, Slazenger, Puma, etc
I would say that the bats from Puma and Slazenger are probably not the best these days, but I haven't really played with them so that is just perception.
Actually come to think of it Reebok and Readers are out of the magic circle as well.
 
Re: Asian Manufacturers

I'm not really the best person to ask when it comes to 'ranking' bats as I tend to only see the wood and look past the rest. As long as the bat is made from good English willow (as all 'top' bats are) then it doesn't really matter who the maker is.

Of course different makers will have different bat profiles but that comes down to a personal choice - I like my bats to be slightly bowed with a lowish middle and I tend to make my bats that way.

If I had to rank them in order then I'd go MRF, SS, Hero Honda as my top 3, the rest are very much 'meh'. Others will tell you differently.

The area where Asian bats really fall down is that they will use Kashmir willow at every opportunity and they don't always tell you. That's why its important to trust your supplier. However, saying that a good Kashmir willow bat will play just the same as a £100 English willow one although it may need a little more care to get it there.

New Calypsonians CC said:
I would say that the bats from Puma and Slazenger are probably not the best these days, but I haven't really played with them so that is just perception.
Actually come to think of it Reebok and Readers are out of the magic circle as well.
Click to expand...

Your point about Puma and Slazenger bats being poor is valid and its due to mass production, where little care goes into a bat. As long as it looks clean, the profile is right and its within weight off it goes.

If you're after a top bat then I can rate Fusion bats no higher. They are top bits of willow and all hand made in the UK. Very much worth a look.
 
Re: Asian Manufacturers

Im no good with Asian manufacturers but ive used the one Inzi uses, very beasty bat, thick edges, big middle, and is a must for anyone wanting to have a slog.

Its very reliable but i've also had a good with a RBK, two exact same bats, one had a middle like a rollercoaster, it didnt have a joined middle, it had sweet spots in serveral places. Terrible!
 
Re: Asian Manufacturers

So maybe what we are really looking for is consistancy and reliability in the quality.
Also the best grade willow you can get.
So with Asian bats you can get better willow for the money, or at least they say it is better willow, but you may get caught out with a duffer.

So its prob just a percentages game on whether it will turn out good or bad bat.
What are percentages like in UK bats?

I can remember a real duffer GM Cannon bat at school. It had no middle whatsoever. It was like mush.

My UT plays sweet and several people have commented but it does weigh 3pounds 4 ounces. Its actually a first reject of some main manufacturer as it has a mark on the face but it doesnt seem to have affected the play at all. The willow is rather soft which always helps with giving the ball lots of energy when you hit it (it adds to the spring)
 
Re: Asian Manufacturers

New Calypsonians CC said:
So maybe what we are really looking for is consistancy and reliability in the quality.
Also the best grade willow you can get.
So with Asian bats you can get better willow for the money, or at least they say it is better willow, but you may get caught out with a duffer.

So its prob just a percentages game on whether it will turn out good or bad bat.
Click to expand...

You've pretty much hit the nail on the head there, we should be looking at the consistency of 'decent' bats being produced by each manufacturer. The only problem is that it's very subjective - a good bat to me may be rubbish to you etc. Maybe the easiest way is to look at how they grade their willow and whether they 'grade up' or 'down' when it comes to a border line cleft.

New Calypsonians CC said:
What are percentages like in UK bats?

I can remember a real duffer GM Cannon bat at school. It had no middle whatsoever. It was like mush.
Click to expand...

Within the general what the 'public' get range I'd think you'd find similar numbers, whether English or Asian made. The other problem being that some people may never have actually experience what a proper bat is like, so its hard to get reliable feedback.

School bats are notoriously rubbish due to the scools refusal to spend money - hence the year 7's being given 3lb odd SS Jumbo's to use :D.

New Calypsonians CC said:
My UT plays sweet and several people have commented but it does weigh 3pounds 4 ounces. Its actually a first reject of some main manufacturer as it has a mark on the face but it doesnt seem to have affected the play at all. The willow is rather soft which always helps with giving the ball lots of energy when you hit it (it adds to the spring)
Click to expand...

Soft willow is good but may not last that long. If you feel you're bat is a bit on the heavy side then you should have scope to get a bit of weight taken out of it, if you wanted to. 3lb 4 is big even in this day and age!
 
Re: Asian Manufacturers

Yes I am definitely buying a lighter bat.
I said to the guy to buy me a heavy one but I was prob thinking 2pounds 12.
But I think the weight is mainly because it is a first reject. Therefore they stopped work on it when the realised the blemish before it had had the finishing shaping and put in the bins. Then the UT guy has come along, picked it up and put his sticker on it.
Prob going for a UK bat now after this thread: either GN powerbow, Newbery Samurai/Test, Woodworm Performance globe, or a Smasher (our club has links to the company and they seem pretty good)
 
Re: Asian Manufacturers

If you were still in the market for an Asian bat I can recommend anything by MRF, great bats. Just make sure that you're getting the real deal though!
 
Re: Asian Manufacturers

Nothing wrong with the manufacture or the technique of the bat makers (although they can sometimes be slightly more 'mass produced'), the main issue with the Asian manufacturers is the inferior nature of Kashmir Willow, which is largely used over there.

Indeed, unless you go to a small bat company or are lucky, I'd bet that your bat was made in India or Pakistan using imported English willow and then shipped back out.
 
Re: Asian Manufacturers

I'm with Tom on this. I did some research on bats before I bought my £1.00 Kashmir willow bat :laugh: But if quality is of a concern the concensus throughout the world is that English Willow grown primarily here in England (Essex & Suffolk) is the only option. Where it's shaped and who it's shaped and put together by is secondary. If you look at websites in New Zealand and Australia and no doubt all round the world that belong to bat manufacturers they all say the same thing - their top of the range bats are made from Willow sourced in the England. Check this out it'll give you an over-view and if my memory serves me correctly this company talks about Kashmir Willow in a fairly positive but realistic light.

http://www.cricketbatwillow.com/trees.php
 
Re: Asian Manufacturers

You've got it pretty much spot on Dave. Its the quality of the wood that counts more so than the ability of the bat maker (although that does play a part).

A Kashmir willow bat from a decent maker will be an ok bat, its the crap ones on ebay that are the problem (to a large extent). They are often very low quality wood, can be very dry and generally in a poor condition before they are even shaped.
 
Re: Asian Manufacturers

I'm going to make a point about "Taking Jobs away from the UK". Years ago we had a system here in the UK where because of our History (Empire) we had access to the worlds resources either free or at ridiculously nominal fees (Basically we raped and pillaged the world in the name of Empire). This served Great Britain PLC well and made us what we are today one of the worlds leading economies. In more recent enlightened times we've gradually given up the empire and with the advances in technology the countries we once exploited have begun to realise their worth and have begun to trade on far more equal terms. But we're still in the big boys club with organisations such as G8 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G8) and these countries still work together to ensure our ends are served first and foremost.
The thing I find most interesting is that capitalism advocates a free market in which competition is supposed to create checks and balances. Therefore going back to your point - if a company can source materials and labour at a far cheaper rate globally then that is what is going to happen and is happening. That then means that the workforce that is then left without an income (UK bat manufacturers et al) have to adapt to an ever changing economic global economy. If you think this through ultimately this means that any basic manufacturing in the UK is doomed because needless to say in the global economy the rising stars with workforces that are going to put the hours and dedication in at cheap rates are the economies such as India and China (Buy shares in both)!!! The UK therefore has to sell something different rather than manufacturing - intellectual skills. What gets up my nose is the people that tend to moan about this the most are the capitalists - the small manufacturers, they always seem to want it both ways protectionism and profit. The people that suffer the most are the people that are employed in the industries that can't keep up with the global economic volatility.
 
Re: Asian Manufacturers

I agree with Dave and what do u think it will be heading towards and ultimately who will be gaining and who will be losing from it?
Is the dream of a common man to play cricket get effected?
Just to add on further; I have seen some shopkeepers selling Kashmir willow bats as "English Willow Bats" or labelled as "English Willow Nurtured in India" for extra profit.
So a person shelling out a good amount of money thinking that he has got Quality English Willow is playing with a Kashmir willow bat.
Secondly;rarely people at Club level are aware about Willow's Grade i.e. I,II etc.
So overall the situation here is also pretty sad when it comes to buying cricket equipments.
 
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