What do you guys think? I don’t see any problem with reverse sweep as batsman’s stand and grip remains the same but in switch hit, right handed batsman actually become left handed (and vice versa). KP has been doing it a lot and actually mastered it. I am sure if any Pakistani batsman had done it before anyone else, it would have been criticized by English/Aus media a lot to the extent of calling it a ‘cheating’.
I am all for it (at least in ODI and T20) but then bowlers should be given some freedom to such as switching the arm or side (over the wicket or round the wicket) without telling the umpire.
“… In the third over of Wednesday’s Twenty20 against India, the left-hander Warner changed his batting stance as R Ashwin was releasing a delivery, and he muscled an enormous six with a right-handed grip…a bowler must tell the umpire if he is bowling with a different hand, or switching between over and around the wicket. Similarly, a fieldsman cannot deceive the batsman by significantly changing his position as the bowler runs in…”
Well when a batsman switches from left to right or vice versa the rule isnt "down the leg is wide" The area where bowler in can bowl a fair delivery almost doubles.
When a bowler bowls with left arm wud he lose anything ? or its only gain gain situation ?
The batsman does not gain any advantage - he is reacting to the ball. The bowler is the initiator of the action - so it makes sense he not be allowed to change the hand that delivers at the last minute.
I think the rule should be that batsmen who play switch hits should be tagged by the team management and:
1. Be declared ahead of time when both sides reveal the playing eleven as to who is a "switch hitter"
2. Subsequently for those batsmen, while facing, the bowler should be allowed to switch sides without telling or informing.
3. Leg side wides should not be given to such batsmen since they switch hit.
4. During run up, fielder can move from his position if he senses the batsmen will do a "switch".
For a playing side, field placing is also important, not just the bowler. Yes it does give the bowler more room, however current rules don't allow the bowler to know that and nor can he take advantage of that on the leg side to restrict runs per say.
Also rules are becoming more and more conducive to batting in the T-gullee danda matches and in ODIs.
