Cricket without boundaries

Innovations — one step forward, two backward?

Are the winds of change blowing on the cricket pitch pushing the game forward or tying it up in knots?

First, England batsman Kevin Pietersen changed his stance and, more importantly his grip, to hit New Zealand slow medium bowler Scott Styris for two sixes, triggering a debate whether it was fair to the bowlers or the umpires who have to decide on leg before appeals and rule of wides.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will test a new umpire referral system during India’s test tour of Sri Lanka, allowing the batsman at the striker’s end or the fielding team captain to ask for a review of the umpire’s decision with the teams allowed three “unsuccessful” appeals per innings.

For cricket fans who are suddenly being stuffed with plenty of Twenty20 cricket, innovations such as Pietersen’s could be the perfect way to spice up the 50-over version.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar says the ICC is already looking to make the 15-35 over period more interesting in the longer limited overs game.

Although Pietersen’s “switch-hit” has been cleared by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the custodians of cricket rules, it is still unclear how much it would affect the bowlers, who can’t switch their bowling arm on their run-up, and the umpires who will have to make leg before decisions and judge wides.

The ICC has been forced to come up with the referral system to end umpiring controversies, particularly the kind which erupted during India’s test tour of Australia.