DUBAI – Test cricket’s fundamental starting point may be scrapped, as theICC’s cricket committee prepares to debate whether or not the coin tossshould be removed as a way of reducing home ground advantage in the loomingTest Championship, reported *Cricinfo.link>*

Every single Test match since the very first, between Australia and Englandat the MCG in March 1877, has begun with a toss of the coin to decide whoshould bat or bowl first. The home captain flips the coin and the visitingcaptain calls heads or tails.

However, there has been a growing body of opinion that home boards havemanipulated conditions to suit their team, in turn adding adisproportionate level of importance to the toss. The proposed remedy is toabandon the coin toss for matches played as part of the Test Championship,to commence with Australia’s Ashes tour of England in 2019, leaving thevisiting side to elect whether to bat or bowl first.

This would be an extension of the playing conditions now used in theEnglish County Championship since the start of the 2016 season, whereby thevisiting team can choose to bowl first, with a coin toss to follow if thecaptain is not fussed. According to briefing notes circulated ahead of theICC cricket committee meeting at the end of May in Mumbai and seen byESPNcricinfo:

“There is serious concern about the current level of home team interferencein Test pitch preparation, and more than one committee member believes thatthe toss should be automatically awarded to the visiting team in eachmatch, although there are some others on the committee who do not sharethat view.”