Pietersen's ability to switch his stance to thump international bowlers out of the ground left-handed has been hailed as a feat of batting brilliance and innovation that only a special few could even contemplate, let alone pull off.

Others have condemned the shot as cavalier, selfish and against the spirit, if not the rules, of cricket and something which sums up the South Africa-born all-rounder's approach to the game.

Text and Photographs: Reuters