The Switch Hit in Cricket: Changing Hands Mid-Delivery
What the switch hit is, how Kevin Pietersen developed it, whether it is legal, and the controversy about whether the Laws keep up with batting innovation.
The switch hit is one of cricket's most controversial and spectacular batting innovations — the batter switches their hand position (and effectively their batting stance) mid-delivery to become a left-hander (if normally right-handed) and plays the ball on the off side with full power. Kevin Pietersen made it globally famous against Scott Styris in a 2008 ODI against New Zealand.
How It Works
As the bowler enters the delivery stride, the batter reverses their grip on the bat — top hand becomes bottom hand — and repositions their feet to stand as a mirror-image batter. They then play the delivery as a left-hander, often driving through the off side of their new stance (previously the leg side). The switch creates enormous field placement problems — the fielding side cannot move fielders once the bowler enters delivery stride.
Is It Legal?
Yes — the switch hit is legal under the Laws of Cricket. The MCC reviewed the switch hit after Pietersen's usage and ruled it legal in 2008. Their reasoning: the fielding side cannot move once the delivery begins, so the switch hit cannot truly exploit a fielding advantage that doesn't exist. The batter is also at risk of edging or missing shots they cannot see as well from the reversed stance.
The Problem for Fielding Teams
The fundamental field-setting problem: a fielding captain sets their field based on the batter's normal stance. A switch hit converts an off-side field into a leg-side field in a fraction of a second — and the fielding team cannot adjust. Wide and LBW laws are also different for a switched-hand batter (the Laws treat the batter as the reverse-handed batter for the purpose of these dismissals).
Frequently asked questions
Is the switch hit legal in cricket?
Yes — the switch hit is legal under the Laws of Cricket. The MCC ruled it legal in 2008 after Kevin Pietersen's usage prompted a formal review. The batter's LBW and wide determinations are assessed based on their new (reversed) stance for that delivery.
Who invented the switch hit?
Kevin Pietersen (England) is credited with developing and popularising the switch hit in international cricket, most famously against Scott Styris of New Zealand in 2008. The shot had been attempted before, but Pietersen's consistent and powerful execution established it as a genuine tactical option.
Can you be LBW from a switch hit?
Yes — if a switch-hit batter receives a delivery that would have hit the stumps (now oriented as a left-hander), they can be given out LBW. The umpire's assessment is based on the batter's new stance — effectively treating the delivery as aimed at a left-hander's stumps. This is one reason the switch hit is riskier than it first appears.