Pietersen confounds with switch-hitting

Tag : switch face

IT TOOK John Buchanan until all of his first net session asnational coach to air his radical prediction: the true all-rounderwill be able to bowl with both arms and bat left- and right-handed.
Were he watching England's one-dayer against New Zealand on Sundaynight, he could have allowed himself a satisfied smile.
Kevin Pietersen has never been shy about pushing conventionalcricket boundaries, but his century against the Kiwis at Durham'sRiverside ground contained two shots of such brilliance andaudacity that they will surely change the game - either becoming atemplate for a new form of attack, or prompting intervention by thegame's governors.
Facing the medium pace of Scott Styris, Pietersen twice reversedboth his grip and stance as the bowler approached, effectivelyfacing up as a left-handed batsman. The first time, he went down onone knee and clubbed the ball over cover point (to theright-hander) for six. Four overs later, he did it again, this timeover a right-hander's wide long-off. Same result.
Styris shook his head and laughed, but there were immediate hintsof a graver reaction to Pietersen's inventiveness. Former WestIndian fast bowler Michael Holding, in the commentary box at thetime, foreshadowed that the innovation might not be viewed kindlyby the ICC cricket committee, of which he is a member.
The major issue is whether a batsman should have to declare whetherhe is batting right or left-handed - just as a bowler must announcewhich arm he will use, and from which side of the stumps he willbowl. Clearly, had Styris and his captain Daniel Vettori knownPietersen would face left-handed, they would have adjusted thefield accordingly.
Also, once he has made the switch, what constitutes a leg-sidewide? And which is really the leg stump - a matter vital toadjudicating lbw decisions.
Cricket Australia's operations manager Geoff Allardice saidyesterday there was nothing in the laws of the game against suchunorthodoxy.
"There isn't a lot of definition in the laws about how that shouldbe treated. It only really refers to it in the leg-before-wicketlaw - what's on side and what's off side?" Allardice said. "It saysthe on side shall be determined by the stance at the time the ballcomes into play for that delivery, and the ball comes into playwhen the bowler starts his run up. He's certainly playing withinthe laws at the moment, and is quite innovative."
If given the green light, the "switch-hitter" approach couldrepresent the greatest batting revolution since Pakistan's MushtaqMohammad first played a reverse sweep four decades ago. Theebullient Pietersen was adamant the shot was a legitimate stepforward for a game so often rooted in a stodgy past.
"Everyone wants to see brand new inventions, and that's a newshot," Pietersen said. "People should be seeing it as a new way togo and not criticising it. Let's be positive about all these newthings happening in cricket."
His batting partner at the time, Paul Collingwood, said Pietersentold him he had been lying in bed on Saturday night visualising theshot, which he has practised.
"It's a boundary option, and one boundary was huge so I chose theother one as it was closer and only had one fielder," Pietersensaid. "You guys might give it a name. I guess it was a left-handedslog/sweep. This was a day when it worked, but it might well notwork on other days."
It certainly worked for England, who rattled up 307 to set up acomfortable victory.
■ New Delhi:An experimental rule allowing cricketers to seeka second opinion on umpiring decisions will be put on trial duringIndia's coming series in Sri Lanka.
With agencies