Dickie Bird questions Pietersen’s switch-hitting

The Marylebone Cricket Club on Tuesday made it clear that it would not outlaw Pietersen’s extraordinary reverse slog-sweep.

Bird feels apart from giving the batsman an undue advantage, a ‘switch-hit’ would require change in the lbw and wide balls rules.

“One way of doing it would be to get rid of the whole idea of leg-side if the batsman switches his stance, the experienced umpire said.

“So the bowler has a reasonable amount of latitude on a wides on both sides of the wicket. And it doesn’t matter where the ball pitches when you go up for lbw,” Bird added.

Pietersen effectively became a left rather than a right-handed batsman when executing the shot to hit New Zealand medium-pacer Scott Styris twice for six during an unbeaten century in England’s opening one-day international win at the Riverside Sunday.