Sachin Tendulkar pleased with the quality of Kashmir willow bats as he visits a local manufacturing unit

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Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has said he was pleased with the quality of Kashmir willow bats. Tendulkar and his family visited a cricket bat manufacturing unit in southern Kashmir's Sangam on Saturday pleasantly surprising the people there, newswire PTI reported.

Tendulkar, accompanied by wife Anjali and daughter Sara, stopped by at a unit in Charsoo on the Srinagar-Jammu highway and interacted with the workers.

"We were busy making bats when a vehicle stopped at our gate. We were pleasantly surprised to find the Little Master and his family," Mohammad Shaheen Parray, owner of MJ Sports, told PTI over phone.

Parray said Tendulkar checked the quality of the bats made of Kashmir willow.

"He stroked a few bats and was quite pleased with the quality. Tendulkar said he had come to compare the Kashmir willow bats with those made of English willow.

"We requested him to lend his voice in support of the local bats," Parray said, adding the batting maestro promised to support the Kashmir willow bats.

Parray said Tendulkar spent an hour at the manufacturing unit and interacted with a small bunch of fans.

Pertinently, earlier this month, the Cricket Bat Manufacturers Association of Kashmir (CBMAK) announced its decision to take legal action against 'SONY Entertainment Television' and participants of the reality TV show 'Shark Tank India.'

The move came in response to what CBMAK alleges are false and damaging claims made about the Kashmir Cricket Bat Manufacturing industry during the show's Season 3 episode aired on January 30, 2024.

In a statement, president of CBMAK, Fayaz Ahmad Dar, along with Vice President and Spokesperson Fawzul Kabiir, and other members, expressed their concerns over the misleading statements made by the participants, Hamad Tramboo and Saad Tramboo, representing Tramboo Kashmir Willow cricket bats.

The contestants claimed to be "pioneers" in the Kashmir bat-making industry, a statement vehemently refuted by CBMAK.

The statement said that CBMAK, an amalgamation of all Cricket Bat Manufacturers in the Valley, is dedicated to ensuring the prosperity and welfare of its members. "The bats manufactured by its members hold a unique identity and are widely recognized for their quality, being used by our valued customers spread across local, national and international markets including various noted star cricketers," the statement said. (With inputs from PTI)