A Look at the History of CA Sports

CA owns a strong history of providing quality sports equipment since the time it was founded by Charaghdin Abdulrasheed in Sialkot. CA Sports started with manufacturing wooden tennis rackets and started production of cricket bats, and sponsored their first cricketer, Salim Malik,in 1978.

Cricket always gets to grips with a good quality bat. After getting your hands on a new bat, there is a huge temptation to put it straight into the action. So, the power ratio between bat and ball is protected by CA. CA makes sure to provide bat who has a long life, whether you use it for serious cricket or casual fun playing. CA sports have launched an online store for the ease of their customers around the world and in Pakistan.  They provide a specialized range of bats, including hardball bats, softball bats, and fiber bats. The curve-shaped bats we see in today’s cricket were first produced by CA in 1979.

Cricket is a favorite street sport in Pakistan, and youth take a keen interest in fetching a nice bat to play. The demand for cricket bats has always been high at the club and regional levels.  The sales of ‘tape ball cricket bats’ are always increasing. A ‘tape ball’ is a tennis ball wrapped in electrical tape and used to play street cricket. Tape ball cricket has developed into an integral part of the game in Pakistan, and the format is played in virtually every sports group or club; pacers such as Shoaib Akhtar and Wasim Akram developed and refined their bowling line and length from the bounce and speed generated by the bounce of the tape ball. Tape ball bats can vary in length, width, and weight as compared with regular cricket bats, and they are more curved. CA produces 40,000 to 45,000 regular bats every year and up to 500,000 tape ball bats. “CA is the pioneer in tape ball bats.” The bats are only sold in Pakistan and Bangladesh, and the wood used for these bats comes from Mansehra, Peshawar, Abbottabad, and Rawalkot. CA makes it possible for youngsters to enjoy their passion for cricket at affordable prices as well. CA has played a vital role for innumerable years in providing cricket bats for local sports. CA bats are found in local stores easily.

Since the launch of the official online store of CA in Pakistan, CA has been trying to get recognition in the international market. Brand Ambassadors of CA Sports are Tamim Iqbal from Bangladesh, Tillakaratne Dilshan from Sri Lanka, Shoaib Malik from Pakistan, and Chris Gayle from the West Indies. CA has sponsored many national & international players like Inzamam ul Haq, Javed Miandad, Saeed Anwar, Moin Khan, Saleem Malik, Ijaz Ahmed, Umer Akmal, Haris Sohail, Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Brian Lara, Carl Hooper, Michael Bevan, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Marvan Atapattu, Jacob Oram, Shakib Al Hasan, and Shoaib Malik. CA is the official supplier to the Pakistan Cricket Board and sponsors the national cricket team.

CA is confident in shaping a great image of sports goods around the globe. The CA sports manufacturing factory is highly equipped to meet ever-changing needs for cricket. CA ensures that their bats are well-designed and crafted skillfully. To provide the best quality products, especially hardball bats, they come with quality seals. Each seal has an exclusive 12-digit code which customer can verify on the CA sports website.

Traditionally, cricket bats are made from willow wood, specifically from a variety of white willow called ‘cricket bat willow’ or ‘Salix alba var. caerulea’, which is tough yet pliable. This type of willow is cultivated only in England and Kashmir, and the trees are usually harvested between the ages of 15 and 20 years. This soft fibrous timber of the willow possesses the perfect characteristics for balance, power, and durability to perform in a cricketing environment due to its stringy wood fibers that give the wood elasticity, the key to its performance. It is treated with raw (unboiled) linseed oil, which has a protective function. English willows are specially grown for manufacturing cricket bats. English Willow is softer in nature.

The moisture content in the Kashmir Willow bat is greater. Kashmir willow is getting more expensive as the Government is trying to protect the use of the raw material; hence, the price is gradually going up. The Kashmir wood is very durable and, if knocked in properly, may last longer than the English Willow equivalent. The sweet spot (punch) is less dynamic compared to English Willow cricket bats.

Once you start hardball, it is recommended that you use an English willow bat due to a significant performance advantage. The ball will travel much easier and further off the sweet spot of a well-prepared English willow bat for the same amount of effort.

It is important to note that the English willow bats need to be prepared by knocking in and oiling, in most cases, before they can be played with a hardball. This is very important, and if it is not done properly, it can have a detrimental effect on the performance and life of your bat. They also need regular maintenance and care.  White willows are whiter in color, whereas the Kashmir willows are brownish in color. Also, the grain density of White willows is higher than that of Kashmir willow. White willow bats are actually the best for experienced players. Kashmir willow bats are good for beginners. Kashmir willow bats are not as popular as White willow cricket bats, but some of them are of international standards and have been used by many international players. These bats are heavier than the White willow bats because the Kashmir willow is heavier. This makes it difficult to handle these bats. These bats are useful if you are playing with softer balls.