Kevin Pietersen’s first One-Day Test hundred on English soil has already got tongues wagging across the sport - and not just for his phenomenal 110 not out against New Zealand.

With two of his three sixes being left-handed slogs, by a declared right-handed batsman, several commentators of the game have already called for the shot to be banned, and the ICC have already discussed whether it should be outlawed.

“What is the problem?”, some will say - and then go on to cite the reverse sweep that has been in the game for decades, and many a four has been scored by wrong-footing the fielders. Has Pietersen simply taken the reverse sweep to a new level? He seems to think so, and from his post-match interviews would be likely to use the shot again if he gets the chance, having visualised the shot, and revealing he regularly tries out new things in the nets.

Not only did he hit both left-handed strikes adequately enough to score runs off, he smashed them over the boundary with plenty of room to spare, the second travelling an impressive 74 metres, high over long-off.

KP has his supporters, and rightly so. I was among the crowd when he hit the shots at the Riverside. He had plenty of time to get into position for Scott Styris’s deliveries and the crowd loved the fact that not only had he hit a six, but surprised us all in moving his hands and body to be in position to play the shot. It gave the game that little something else – arrogant creativity, real excitement.

At a time when the longer forms of the game are struggling to garner the same level of interest as the shorter Twenty20 format – and Pietersen himself admitted just days ago that Twenty20 was the way forward – anything that can breathe new life into the 50-over format should be welcomed.