Umpire's surprise stance on controversial switch-hit

Cricket's former top umpire has spoken out in favour of the controversial switch-hit, used with such success by Australia's Glenn Maxwell in Canberra on Wednesday.

Maxwell left the cricket world stunned by a huge switch-hit six at Manuka Oval against India, where he changes both his bat grip and stance as the bowler is about to release the ball.

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell has called for the shot to be banned, arguing it's not fair for the bowler who has set the field expecting a right-handed batsman, only for Maxwell to become a left-hander at the last second.

"It is very skilful, some of it's amazingly skilful – but it's not fair," Chappell said.

Chappell has the backing of Australia's leading Test match wicket-taker, Shane Warne.

As a bowler, we have to nominate what hand we're bowling with and what side of the wicket we're bowling with," Warne said on Fox Cricket.

"I'm not sure I like it. It's worth a discussion, worth a debate to work out what's the right thing."

Former Australian umpire Simon Taufel, who stood in 74 Test matches until his retirement in 2012, said it would be hard to outlaw the shot.

"The game of cricket is not a science, it's an art. We're not perfect," Taufel said, per the Sydney Morning Herald.

"When we say that we want to ban that type of shot how does the umpire officiate that? It's impossible.

"The umpire has an enormous number of decisions – front foot, back foot, protected area, seeing where a ball is hit – it's impossible to have an official then watch for the changing of the grip or stance. It's an impossible ask for a standing umpire to make that determination

"We can't make a law that we can't apply."

Maxwell has defended the use of the shot, arguing that there's nothing to prevent him playing it.

"It's within the laws of the game," Maxwell said.

"I think batting has evolved in such a way that it's just got better and better over the years which is why we're seeing these massive scores getting chased down and scores are going up.

"I suppose it's up to the bowlers to try and combat that, and the skills of bowlers are being tested every day.