ECB set to abolish toss system?

Previously Ricky Ponting had also suggested the idea of eliminating toss from Test cricket

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will hold an executive board meeting tomorrow to discuss the idea of dismissing toss for next season’s second division county cricket. According to a report by UK Telegraph, instead of a toss the away team might be straight away asked to choose between batting or fielding first.

This decision is being taken in order to improve pitch qualities and give spinners more opportunities. Spinners bowled only 21.5 per cent of overs in the four-day county championship 2015. In home matches of Division Two teams that number fell to lower than 10 per cent. Generally pitches are prepared in a way to suit the host team but many believe that in the long run it isn’t helpful.

Former England and surrey batsman Kevin Pietersen wrote in The Telegraph, “At Chelmsford (the home ground of Essex) the pitches are as green as the outfield because they think that gives them the best chance of winning through guys like David Masters and Jesse Ryder. That is understandable, but it does not help in the long run.”

According to KP, none can benefit from such pitches. He had added, “Ryder and Masters running in and bowling at 75mph on a green top simply does not help England. It does not benefit the batters either because you do not face those kinds of bowlers at Test level. This is happening all around the county circuit.”

In Ashes 2015, after England lost at Lord’s, coach Trevor Bayliss asked for “typical seaming English” pitches in the next two Tests. The hosts got such pitch and bowled out Australia for 136 in the first innings at Edgbaston and then for 60 in Nottingham.

Previously former Australian captain Ricky Ponting had also talked about the idea of eliminating toss from Test cricket. Another former Aussie captain Steve Waugh had agreed with Ponting but also added that the toss is often given more importance than it is of.

Waugh had told Melbourne radio station SEN, “I don't mind that, I think that's not such a bad thing. At the end of the day I think there's probably too much emphasis placed on the toss and the conditions away from home. I don't mind the authorities looking at some other options.”