Tym Glaser

EVERY NOW and then, through brilliance or quirkiness, a player comes along who changes the game.

In cricket, the first great revolutionary was the legendary W.G. Grace who, according to lore, basically invented playing off both the back foot and the front foot. That fad caught on pretty quick.

Then as the game further evolved, along came another batting genius called 'Don' and the little Aussie was so good that England decided on a leg theory to get him - and the rest of his teammates - out. It basically involved having the fast bowlers hurl short deliveries at the batsman's body while stacking the leg-side field.

If the man at the crease hooked or pulled he could be caught in the deep; if he chose not to, he was in danger defending the ball to a cordon of close leg-side fieldsmen or being struck. Leg theory also became known more infamously as 'Bodyline' and was outlawed after that fateful Ashes series of the earl '30s.

Wind the clock forward now and the 'quirky' action of the world's leading Test wicket-taker, Muttiah Muralitharan, caused a whole reassessment of what the legal angle of the bowling arm should be.

Now, folks, thanks to South African Englishman Kevin Pietersen we have 'switch-hitting'.

In a similar vein to the reverse sweep, K.P., at times, changes his batting stance from his natural right-handed guise to left-handed as the bowler is running in.

If that's not off-putting enough, he actually on-drove Kiwi Scott Styris for six during a recent one-dayer! Yep, on-drove left-handed for the full bucket of bikkies.

I have never, ever seen a shot played like that and nor, obviously, had Styris who didn't know whether to laugh, cry or just go down the pitch and thump K.P.

In baseball, switch-hitting is common-place but is impossible to do when the pitcher is about to throw as he has no run-up.

Not so in cricket; and Pietersen has opened up a whole new batting world.

Remarkable skill

Of course, it's a high-risk shot and only someone of remarkable skill and cohones would even attempt it, but it could be here to stay.

There's nothing illegal about it - yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if a few bowlers started complaining about it because it must put you right out of rhythm to see a batsman pirouette at the crease as you are about to deliver.

Maybe some ambidextrous bowler, probably a spinner, could change hands while twirling, hmmm?

If you don't tell the umpire which side of the wicket you are going to bowl from you get no-balled, but do you have to tell him which hand?

Food for thought, eh? Thanks, Big Kev.

Later.

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