Richard Edwards looks at the pros and the cons to controversial ICC plans to scrap the pre-match coin toss in Test matches
I don't know what he was thinking – he had a brain fart.”Those were the words of SimonJones to The Cricket Paper inlate October when asked about Nasser Hussain’s decision to insert Australia at the Gabba in 2002, a move widely acknowledged to be one of worst by a captain at the toss in the history of the game.
Very soon, though, it might be a decision that Test captains across the world don’t have to concern themselves with.
This week, the ICC will discuss whether scrapping the toss would help prevent Test cricket from sliding further into the mire and stop the home series walkovers that have become a feature of the sport in the recent past.
The ECB has already said that it would be in favour of the change, believing that doing away with the toss could play a crucial role in helping the sport create a greater balance in every sense.
The ECB, of course, has previous in this area, with the County Championship ditching the mandatory toss back in 2016. In the domestic game currently, the visiting captain can either bowl first or have the toss as usual to decide which teams strap the pads on.
The rationale behind the ECB’s decision was originally based on a desire to improve wickets and bring spinners into the game.
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