Switch Hit: Where the Confusion Lies?

By Jawad Hussain

KARACHI, Pakistan (TheSportsNEXT) October 23, 2012: Former England captain and the world’s best Twenty20 batsman, Kevin Pietersen, has invented a shot of his own where he shifts himself to his mirror image, changes the grip on bat, and use his immense power to hit the bowler out of the park.

The shot is known as “Switch Hit”, which Kevin Pietersen has been successfully using against the best spin bowlers whether it’s Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, or Rangana Herath. He must have been doing it against Graeme Swann as well, in the training nets though. However, the shot has met controversy in the recently concluded Test series between England and Sri Lanka where Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf warned KP to refrain from using this shot after Sri Lankan bowler Tillekaratne Dilshan stopped twice while delivering the ball after the English batsman dispatched him for a huge six earlier.

Cricket over the years has become a game which favors the batsmen more than the bowlers as flat pitches, field restrictions, and bouncer limitations, etc. have made it tougher for the bowlers to keep their pride intact. Moreover, there are certain laws which have the potential to put bowlers under inferiority complex like the one with the ongoing controversy with the “Switch Hit”.

Normally, when a bowler sets his field, he bears in mind the batting style of man standing in the crease and mostly don’t have anyone on the extra cover boundary but when someone like Kevin Pietersen decides to go for the Switch Hit, the extra cover is the place where the ball generally ends up which demoralizes bowler to a great degree.

Let’s see where the controversy actually is. If a bowler has to change the side of the wicket, he will have to first ask the umpire who will intimate the batsmen about the change (if a bowler is delivering the ball from over-the-wicket and wants to go round-the-wicket, he will have to tell the umpire about his intention). However, it’s not the same with the batsmen. Any batsmen can not only change the grip on his bat at anytime but also move his position once the bowler lands his back foot in the crease while delivering the ball. Moreover, if a batsman goes for the Switch Hit shot and he misses the ball and it hits his pads right in front of the stumps, still he can’t be given out because the ball would have pitched outside the leg stump, though the batsman ends up being right in the line.

This is a precarious situation for the bowler who can’t even change the way he delivers the ball without having to tell the umpire but there is no string attached to the batsmen.

The ICC cricket laws are not that self-explanatory regarding Switch Hit and are quite vague and umpires these days are finding it tough to officiate the game with the laws in effect. According to a report made by the umpires officiating in the England-Sri Lanka Test, the ICC should further clarify the rule as if a batsman can change his position from a right hander to a left hander without any intimation to the umpire then the bowler should have the benefit of claiming an LBW decision in an event the batsman misses the shot and the delivery doesn’t get called pitching outside the legstump.

Another interesting thing mentioned in the umpires’ report was that how can any umpire keep an eye on the point of delivery in anyway. To further explain to my readers, I would give you an example. Let’s suppose, if Kevin Pietersen has decided to go for the Switch Hit and he takes position to hit the ball with ferocious power as the bowler lands in the crease to deliver the ball. As per the rule, a batsman can change his position before the bowler lands his back foot in the crease while delivering the ball but it is an impossible thing for the umpire to note if the batsman had taken position before the bowler’s back foot had landed in the crease.

Kevin Pietersen, who is now in India to take part in the Indian Premier League 5 matches with the Delhi Daredevils, is adamant to keep playing the Switch Hit. He told reporters the other day, “It was a bit controversial, you can say that. I feel if somebody changes his stance he shouldn’t be penalised. Using the shot is difficult and depends on game situation, the bowling, the field.”

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which is responsible for making and explaining the laws of cricket, has a huge responsibility on its shoulders regarding laws about Switch Hit as the bowlers deserve equal representation in the game of cricket and any shift of balance in power between bowlers and batsmen would push the game of cricket into disrepute in coming days. The MCC should collaborate with the ICC elite umpires and make suitable changes in the law which would help the officiating authorities to avoid any untoward situation in coming days.