Javed Miandad Backs Proposal to Scrap Toss in Test Cricket

Javed Miandad, the former Pakistan skipper, has backed the idea of doing away with the toss in Test cricket.

The toss has been a major topic of debate for quite some time now. The flip of the coin has been a part of Test cricket since the first-ever Test between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March 1877.

However, with the toss playing a massive role in deciding the outcomes of the games, there have been proposals to abolish it. In 150 Tests since the start of 2015, the away side had won only 45 matches, with 80 defeats and 25 draws. The stats pretty much makes it clear how the visiting teams have been struggling in recent years.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has made it clear during its cricket committee meeting scheduled for May 28 and 29 in Mumbai, the relevance of the practice will get questioned. And Miandad is also in favour of doing away with toss.

“I don’t see any harm in trying out this experiment of abolishing the toss,” Miandad told PTI.

“It might ultimately lead to matches, particularly Test cricket, being played on good standard pitches,” he added.

Javed Miandad, a veteran of 124 Tests and 233 ODIs, said there is no harm in the experiment to get better results.

“Toss has always been an integral part of cricket but times are changing, and one needs to try out new things to make the sport more attractive and better,” he said.

“In recent times we have seen Pakistan win in UAE conditions where pitches are low on bounce and slow and then go and struggle in Australia or New Zealand. The answer is to ensure they are good quality pitches wherever cricket is played,” Miandad added.

Meanwhile, England has already scrapped the mandatory toss in the County Championship from 2016.  The visiting captain gets the luxury of deciding whether to bat or bowl without a coin toss.