Is batsman allowed to "score" leg byes by kicking the ball while pretending to hit it with the bat?

Question

If the ball strikes the striker's person, any runs scored are credited as leg bye extras provided that the striker was either attempting a shot or trying to avoid getting hurt.

For balls whose trajectory would clearly miss the stumps (hence, LBW doesn't apply), the batsman can line up his bat alongside his leg, and then kick the ball while moving the bat in sync with the leg. This makes it appear he was attempting a bat-pad shot, making him "eligible" to score leg byes while eliminating any possibility of getting out caught. There could be other "creative" ways of faking a shot while deliberately hitting it with the leg, as well.

Is this kind of misuse allowed, and if not, what is the provision in the laws against it?

Answer 1

This is covered in Law 26 - Bye and Leg Bye section 2 A(i) - the striker must make a genuine attempt to play the ball with his bat, and the umpire is the sole judge of this. If he or she feels the player has not made a genuine attempt (by hiding the bat behind the leg, for instance), they call "dead ball" (after completion of the first run), and return the batsmen to their original ends.

The custom of allowing completion of the first run is to allow the fielding side attempt a run-out, which will be valid if achieved.