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Pietersen's Left Handed Batting Illegal?

Is His Left Handed Switch Illegal?


  • Total voters
    42

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
Thought I would dig this up, there is a lot of discussion on Sky today about whether or not the reverse sweep should be legal. I know CWers have been against it in the past, what do we think today?
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
It shouldn't be illegal IMO (its great viewing, why make illegal something that fans are naturally intrigued by?), but what should happen is that a bowler shouldn't be penalised with a wide if the batsman misses it.

Chappelli's been backing that change of rule for a while now.
 

Neil Pickup

Cricket Web Moderator
... in that the strict leg-side application of "wide" shouldn't apply, or that it shouldn't be wide at all?

How would you make a shot illegal anyway? There's no precedent!
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
... in that the strict leg-side application of "wide" shouldn't apply, or that it shouldn't be wide at all?
Yep sorry leg-side application. Should have made that clear.

So if you fire it down leg if you see them changing their stance for a reverse sweep, and it now sort of becomes their 'off side', and they miss it, that's the sacrifice they make for changing their stance.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Sort of agree with Holding that it does seem unfair to the bowler. KP wasn't reverse sweeping today, he was actually playing as a left-hander. Amazing talent, obv.

The LBW law to be applied for the stance the shot is played in rather than the stance when the bowler began his run, anyone?
 

Neil Pickup

Cricket Web Moderator
Sort of agree with Holding that it does seem unfair to the bowler. KP wasn't reverse sweeping today, he was actually playing as a left-hander. Amazing talent, obv.

The LBW law to be applied for the stance the shot is played in rather than the stance when the bowler began his run, anyone?
Surely more often than not that will lead to it pitching outside the "new" leg stump, though?
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Surely more often than not that will lead to it pitching outside the "new" leg stump, though?
Hmm, true, unless the bowler's had time to adjust I suppose & most of the time the switch is so late he won't. Considering LBW for both stances seems unfair on the batsman.
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

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I love playing the reverse sweep, particularly against seam bowlers. Well, more of a reverse deflection than a sweep, but the same intent. Usually legside fields are set for me (even though I'm a weaker legside player :blink:) so I just try to toy with the field when the ball is on or outside offstump.

That said, the last time I played it (on Tuesday) it was totally premeditated and the ball ballooned off my glove to the 'keeper. Was pretty embarrassing.
 

PhoenixFire

International Coach
As I can't even play the normal sweep shot, the chance of me ever even bothering to try it in the nets is pretty much 0.
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

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I used to love the sweep shot too, but due to lack of cricket in general, I've become pretty shocking at it. Now if I play it, it's a paddle sweep to the quicker bowlers, using the pace of the ball. Came in pretty handy when I played some T20 wind ball cricket a couple of years ago.
 

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
Thought I would dig this up, there is a lot of discussion on Sky today about whether or not the reverse sweep should be legal. I know CWers have been against it in the past, what do we think today?
Who on Earth was discussing whether it should be legal?:laugh:
The shot is obviously fraught with danger as it's often pre-meditated.
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

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You can't start regulating shots like that, or else you'll kill improvisation and creativity in general.
 

tooextracool

International Coach
I think the point, which Holding was trying to make on Sky, is not about the reverse sweep being legal, but actually changing grips while batting in the manner in which Pietersen did today. Pietersen hit the 6 by changing his grip to a left-handed grip and from my understanding of the rules, you are not allowed to switch hands at any point during an innings.
I know it takes skill to play the shot that Pietersen played today, but I cannot see how that can be deemed legal as it would allow many players to unfairly take advantage of that rule.
 
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Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
If changing hands is legal, so should bowlers jumping to the other side of the wicket (if, of course, they're good enough to do it and still aim the ball with any accuracy) without notifying anyone.

I'd never really thought much about it before said Sky commentators discussion today, but it is a quite fair point. Taking guard as right- or left-handed bat is either an accepted practice of fair play or a legal requirement, not sure which, and certain executions of shots breaks that rule(\"rule"). I once had a batsman try changing hands as I was about to bowl, and simply pulled-out of my delivery. Was sorely tempted to bowl a deliberate Beamer next ball too. Certainly far from amused.
 

Burgey

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If changing hands is legal, so should bowlers jumping to the other side of the wicket (if, of course, they're good enough to do it and still aim the ball with any accuracy) without notifying anyone.

I'd never really thought much about it before said Sky commentators discussion today, but it is a quite fair point. Taking guard as right- or left-handed bat is either an accepted practice of fair play or a legal requirement, not sure which, and certain executions of shots breaks that rule(\"rule"). I once had a batsman try changing hands as I was about to bowl, and simply pulled-out of my delivery. Was sorely tempted to bowl a deliberate Beamer next ball too. Certainly far from amused.
AWTA - the bowler has to tell the batsman he's coming around the wicket. Why should a batsman be able to change his grip without telling the bowler he's going to do so?
 

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
I think the point, which Holding was trying to make on Sky, is not about the reverse sweep being legal, but actually changing grips while batting in the manner in which Pietersen did today. Pietersen hit the 6 by changing his grip to a left-handed grip and from my understanding of the rules, you are not allowed to switch hands at any point during an innings.
I know it takes skill to play the shot that Pietersen played today, but I cannot see how that can be deemed legal as it would allow many players to unfairly take advantage of that rule.

That makes more sense. I haven't seen the shots played by Pietersen yesterday but from the descriptions I've seen and heard they didn't sound like reverse sweeps. If I was an International class bowler I would be quite happy to see batsman changing grip in mid-delivery.
 

sanga1337

U19 Captain
Its a decent shot to use very sparingly to the spinners once you have got settled in. Its a terrible shot if people use it as much as Paul Nixon did.

And I can barely play the sweep well, let alone the reverse sweep.
 

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