Simon Toffel, who is involved in the International Cricket Council’s Elite Umpires, said it is difficult to ban switch hits. He said that the on-field umpire has to watch many things in the match beforehand. In such a situation, it is impossible to keep an eye on the stance and grip of the batsman during the switch hit.
What is Switch Hit Actually?
In the switch hit, the batsman changes his grip and stance as well as the batting position. If someone is batting with the right hand, during the switch hit, he hits the shot with the left hand stance and position. At the same time, the left-handed batsman hits the shot with the right-handed stance and position. Cricket experts say that this gives the bowlers a lot of confusion and they get into trouble.
It is impossible for umpires to monitor switch hits
Toffel quoted the Australian newspaper Sydney Herald as saying, “Cricket is not a science. This is an art. When we say we have to ban a shot, they should think of the umpires as well. How can the umpire officiate this shot. Umpires have to make many decisions in advance.
Toffel said, ‘Umpires have to take care of all these things like front foot, back foot, protected area. After this, it is impossible for the on-field umpire to keep an eye on the batsman’s grip and stance. We cannot create a law that cannot be enforced. ‘
Ian Chappell demands ban on switch hit
Earlier, former Australian cricketer Ian Chappell demanded a ban on switch hits. He had said that this shot is unfit for the bowlers and the fielding team. At the same time, the switch hit was defended by Glenn Maxwell of Australia, who used it the most in current cricket.
Easy to score for batsmen with switch hits
Maxwell had said, ‘This shot is legal. There have been quite a few good changes in cricket in recent times. This has made the game of cricket interesting. Many new shots arrived. Now viewers can see big totals on the scoreboard, which they also enjoy quite a lot. Batting style has also changed a lot. I think now the bowlers also need to make many new changes.
Peterson Popularized Switch Hit
The shot was first used by former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen. He hit a switch hit on Muttiah Muralitharan’s bowling in the 2006 home series against Sri Lanka. Even after this, he used this shot many times. The ICC declared the switch hit legal after being in controversy several times.
Australia’s David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and England’s Jos Buttler also use the shot well during batting.