KP bats for the other side

I went on holiday this past weekend to the Limpopo Province. Away from civilization, away from television and newspapers, and away from sport. Except for the rugby – I watched the Wales vs SA game in Steenbokpan (population 3). When I normally leave everything behind I’m obviously quite eager to catch up on what’s been happening in sport and around the world the past few days. I was prepared for France being dumped out of Euro 2008. I was actually expecting Holland to play the best soccer they have played in the last 20 years. I’ve supported The Netherlands for quite a while now so it’s only normal that the first time that I don’t watch a game, they actually remind people of the days of Van Basten and “total football.” The first picture I saw on the sport’s page was Kevin Pietersen standing arms raised after hitting a century against New Zealand. This, too, seemed nothing out of the ordinary. What surprised me though, was when I read that he managed to hit not one, but two sixes off Kiwi Scott Styris, while batting left handed.

Now KP is a doos. That will never change for me. Good cricketer, never boring to watch, quite a character, but my opinion on him in the first sentence of this paragraph will be my opinion until… well always. He’s a pretty good batsman though and what he managed to do to Styris is nothing short of remarkable. I believe many batsmen in the world can bat pretty well with the opposite stance, especially against the luke-warm, diddly doddly speed of Styris. No one has been brave enough to try it though. And even though many might not give away their wicket and might make a few runs, with a four here and there, it will be a while before we see another batsman hit a six. Nevermind two!! So I’ll give credit to Pietersen for the footwork, timing, and co-ordination required for the feat he perfected.

And now, after those compliments and throwing up because of them, I’m going to say what my problem is with this tactic. A bowler has to warn the umpire and the batsman if he switches from around to over the wicket and vice versa. Pietersen simply switched just before the bowler started his action. It is not too late for the bowler to adapt and change his delivery or where he is going to place it, but here in lies one of the problems. If Styris decided to bowl it down KP’s “normal leg-side” and Pietersen decided to leave the ball, it would have been called a wide. So by dropping it down his “new leg-side”, Styris inadvertently and without many other options, made it easy for Pietersen to hit the ball to his stronger side. With all these new leg and old leg and old school off sides, we might soon start talking about port and starboard sides. The MCC have already said Pietersen’s conduct is all fair. Michael Atherton, criticized KP for unsporting behaviour. Which I agree it is. If Murilitharan decides to bowl around the wicket after saying he is going to bowl over the wicket, he would be no-balled. If he was allowed to do this he would create havoc. Can you imagine him with that power in a Test match when he can bowl 45 overs a day and place every ball wherever he wants to. Batsmen would not be able to read his line and there is a difference in the stance a batsman takes depending on how the bowler approaches. The field for Pietersen was also set according to his right handed stance and fielding restrictions. A fielder isn’t allowed to move outside the inner circle after the bowler has started his run up, so why can the batsman? And believe me, if Pietersen has done this twice in one game, it won’t be 10 years before some kid can chip the ball over the inner circle left and right handed depending on which side the field is set out.

I am a purist when it comes to cricket. So you might have a point when you think that I fear new things. But with carbon fibre bats being used with flexible grips, restrictions for bowlers and bowlers taking a pummeling in every game, where will it end? With Baseball probably. This might seem far fetched and I’m not saying make it illegal for people to employ switch-hitting. Just at least give the bowler a chance. Allow him to bowl the ball on either side of the wicket. Allow him to drop it short and send it past the batsman’s ears when he switches even if he has already bowled his one short ball for the over. A game will probably be won or lost because someone exploited the lack of rules for this before the ICC gives it attention. Or someone might come along and be a good player because he can switch-hit and his career will end when rules are set in place to combat him. The ICC had the power to stop this now. Or to put preventative measures in place. It might a while before we see this again. It might happen in the second ODI. All I know for sure, is that Pietersen might get his head taken off is he tries it against Dale Steyn.