Cricket: Kevin Pietersen's 'New Shot' Sparks Controvesy Over Legality

Kevin Pietersen’s first One-Day Test hundred on English soil has already got tongues wagging across the sport, and not just for his phenomenal 110 not out against New Zealand.

With two of his three sixes being left-handed slogs, by a declared right-handed batsman, several commentators of the game have already called for the shot to be banned, and the ICC have already discussed whether it should be outlawed.

“What is the problem?” some will say before citing the reverse sweep that has been in the game for decades, and many a four has been scored by wrong-footing the fielders. Has Pietersen simply taken the reverse sweep to a new level?

He seems to think so, and from his post-match interviews would be likely to use the shot again if he gets the chance, having visualised the shot, and revealing he regularly tries out new things in the nets.

Not only did he hit both left-handed strikes adequately enough to score runs off, he smashed them over the boundary with plenty of room to spare, the second traveling an impressive 74 metres, high over long-off.

KP has his supporters, and rightly so. I was among the crowd when he hit the shots at the Riverside. He had plenty of time to get into position for Scott Styris’s deliveries and the crowd loved the fact that not only had he hit a six, but surprised us all in moving his hands and body to be in position to play the shot. It gave the game that little something else: arrogant creativity and real excitement.

At a time when the longer forms of the game are struggling to garner the same level of interest as the shorter Twenty20 format—and Pietersen himself admitted just days ago that Twenty20 was the way forward—anything that can breathe new life into the 50-over format should be welcomed.

The argument against such a piece of individual brilliance centres on bowlers having to bowl either left- or right-handed and inform the umpire which side of the wicket they wish to bowl on. If they can’t switch, then why should batsmen be allowed to?

It’s a valid question, but the debate will rage on long after a decision is made either way. The views are polar opposites. You either support it or you disagree with it wholeheartedly.

Not every player is going to have the strength or accuracy to carry off such a shot, and if the shot is allowed to be played in future games, there will be times where it will not work, and the batsman will be out.

Every bowler as a batsman will, at some point in the game, have the opportunity to make a shot similar to Pietersen’s slog. So it might be unfair on the bowler, but it’s the same for all bowlers if they’re up against a batsman who has perfected the shot.

Ultimately, it is up to the ICC to make the decision, but it begs the question that the possibility of the shot has always been there, and has been seen before. Why haven’t they acted sooner and will they ban the more traditional reverse sweep if they ban the reverse sweep slog?

How long will it be before the more creative players come up with another shot which benefits them and not the bowler?