ICC Might Scrap Tossing of Coin from Test Cricket

The game of cricket fundamentally begins with the captains tossing the coin to decide which team bats or bowls first. It has been a tradition of Test Cricket since the very first game played between Australian and England, since the late 19th Century.

However, with the recent tendency of teams being poor travellers, or having the unfair advantages to the home side while preparation of the pitches; the coin flipping tradition might be pushed out of the window, looking at the forthcoming Test Championship.

It means that visiting teams now have a chance to elect to bowl or bat from the Ashes in England next year.

ICC’s working group would be visiting Mumbai to discuss the future of Test cricket with BCCI and would comply according to the briefing notes circulated, according to Espncricinfo.

“There is serious concern about the current level of home team interference in Test pitch preparation.

More than one committee member believes that the toss should be automatically awarded to the visiting team in each match. Although, there are some others on the committee who do not share that view,” read the statement.

Former Australian coach foresaw the issue of unfair advantage taken by the home side, as the biggest threat to Test cricket.

As opposed to the common assumption that it is T20 cricket which is killing red-ball cricket.

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“The biggest challenge to the longest format, for me at least, comes not from Twenty20. But from the surfaces on which matches are being played. Put simply, those surfaces are either far too bland or, conversely, are far too heavily weighted in favour of the home side,” mentioned former Aussie coach, Darren Lehmann in his autobiography, released in 2016.

“My solution to ensure the best possible pitches is to do away with the toss. With the visiting side given the option of whether they want to bat or bowl,” reckoned Lehmann.

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Tosses are big for television: Holding

On the contrary, renowned cricket analyst, Michael Holding penned down the toss is an integral part of the build-up to matches.

“Concerned authorities must look at what Ricky Ponting suggested. No more tosses. The minor setback there, in my opinion, is that tosses are big for television. It makes for good tension. Everyone is focused on that coin when it’s in the air,” Michael Holding told Wisden.