Kevin Pietersen and Harsha Bhogle were involved in a heated exchange over the legality of the switch hit during commentary on day three of the first India-England Test in Hyderabad on January 27.

England came into the five-match Test series with several of their players claiming how they would employ the sweep and all its variations to good effect to counter the turning Indian pitches.

They lived up to their word as almost every English batter used the shot, particularly the reverse sweep and the switch hit, with varying degrees of success across the first two innings of the Hyderabad Test.

The legality of the switch hit has been a matter of discussion in the cricket community since it was introduced onto the big stage. Former England captain Kevin Pietersen, one of the early exponents of the switch hit in the televised era, was on air with Harsha Bhogle on the third day of the first Test when the debate resurfaced as the England batters played the shot regularly.

Bhogle argued that the shot should be banned while Pietersen was rigid in defence of it. “I don’t mind the reverse sweep and I know I need to move a couple of yards away from Kevin Pietersen when I say that, but I absolutely believe that the switch hit should be banned,” Bhogle said.

“It’s unfair. You’ve become a left-hander – should not be allowed because the bowler’s bowling to a right-hander. You can’t suddenly bowl to a left-hander. KP, I’m off!” Pietersen, clearly annoyed at the remark, questioned the seriousness of Bhogle’s opinion. “Are you being serious?, he asked Bhogle who explained his stance further.

“My view, personally, has been that the switch hit should be allowed if the bowler without any warning, is suddenly allowed to come and bowl left-handed (assuming they have been bowling right-handed otherwise),” Bhogle said, to which Pietersen had a quick response.

“Let them bowl left-handed then,” Pietersen retorted.

Bhogle said that he wouldn’t have any issues with the switch hit if the bowler had the option to change his bowling arm without having to inform the umpire. “Absolutely, then I have no issue with the switch hit,” Bhogle said.

When Pietersen asked Bhogle why no one had tried changing their bowing arm mid-way through a delivery, the conversation shifted to how the level of difficulty of executing a particular skill should not determine its legality.

“Why has somebody never ever done it?” Pietersen asked.

“Because it’s difficult and it’s not allowed,” Bhogle answered. “You have to inform the umpire. You’ve to say ‘right arm over’. You cannot come in and bowl left-handed. Come on, come at me KP!”

“I think this argument would be better said when somebody tries it, Harsha.”

Pietersen and Bhogle were then informed that there have been instances of ambidextrous bowlers bowling with both hands, but they have needed to inform the umpire which arm they’ll bowl with, just as Bhogle had argued.

Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis, a finger spinner who can bowl with both hands, had come into focus for his skill when he made his international debut. Depending on the match-up, Mendis would bowl left-arm orthodox to right-handed batters and right-arm off spin to left-handers.

“When you switch hit, you don’t tell the umpire, ‘Just hang on, hold that ball in mid-air, I’m switching my hands,” Bhogle furthered his argument.

“It’s a lot harder, to not inform … because you’ve got to stand as a right-hander and on release you have to turn around and play the other way. If you’re standing as a left-hander, it’s way easier to hit a left-handed shot,” was Pietersen’s response.

“Because something is hard, doesn’t make it fair automatically. It’s still got to be fair. The bowler sets a field for a right-hander. You can’t suddenly become left,” Bhogle said.

Absolute nonsense! 😄 😄. If you want to switch hit allow a bowler to bowl with both hands. Because something is difficult, it doesn't make it acceptable. The bowler has to inform the umpire if he wants to bowl left handed, the batsman must have the same condition. May the debate… https://t.co/JcXTJRdQhe

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 27, 2024

“It’s unfair to the batter. Because he’s batting left-handed (being a right-hander originally) and the bowler’s bowling perfectly able-armed,” Pietersen argued back. “As a bowler, I would prefer to bowl to a right-handed batsman trying to play left-handed than a right-handed batsman trying to play right-handed.”

Bhogle reiterated his point that the degree of difficulty in executing a switch hit does not make it legal. Pietersen responded with, “It’s got nothing to do with being legal. The degree of difficulty is there and it’s entertaining. And I never thought I’d hear you trying and squash entertainment in sport. And I’m so happy it’s 25 past three local time and I’m going back downstairs, ’cause you’re talking rubbish.”

Bhogle ended the conversation with, “And you’re chickening out of a challenge” as Pietersen left the commentary box.

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