Cricket: ICC backs right to switch hit

Batsmen have been given the green light to switch their stance - but with a couple of provisos.

When Australian opener David Warner swung around from being a lefthander to facing righthanded against West Indian bowler Narsingh Deonarine in Sydney this week, he opened fresh possibilities for batsmen with a flair for the unorthodox.

On that occasion, the bowler stopped in his delivery stride and Warner was warned not to do it by the umpires.

However the International Cricket Council has issued an interim directive, to run until May, which allows the move, but also cuts the bowling team some slack.

The batsman cannot change sides until the bowler is in his delivery stride. The effect of that will be to give him - or her - only a moment to get his stance right, adjust his line of sight and play his shot.

Those with ambidextrous skills and plenty of confidence in their ability run the risk of looking like a goat if they don't get it right.

However the bowler is allowed to stop in his delivery stride if he sees the batsman making his move.

That will lead to an informal warning for the batsman on the grounds of timewasting. A second incident means a formal warning; a third infringement adds five runs to the fielding side.

Equally, the bowler can choose to carry on and deliver the ball.

On Thursday, New Zealand captain Dan Vettori spoke in favour of allowing the stroke, provided there was clarity over the rules regarding the wide and lbw rules.

He likes the innovation aspect and believes it could become the next big thing for limited-overs batting, carrying on where the reverse sweep left off. That was deemed a high risk shot but is now played - or at least attempted - almost as often as a cover drive.

Yesterday's ruling states that the off side of the batsman's wicket will be determined by his stance at the moment the ball leaves the bowler's hand, and that brings the lbw rule into play. A ball pitching outside the off stump but hitting the batsman in line can have him lbw; pitching outside leg stump the batsman cannot be out.

But yesterday's statement made no reference to the wide ruling.

It would seem logical that if the batsmen swaps around, the bowler should be treated leniently by the umpires if a delivery slides past the batsman's "old" off stump, after he's switched sides.

Batsmen could take advantage of the field setting. It's still cricket, but most definitely shaken, stirred and with a twist.