The England and Wales Cricket Board is considering scrapping the coin toss in County Championship Division Two matches next season in a bid to improve pitches and encourage the development of spin bowlers.
The BBC is reporting that the ECB’s executive board will discuss the plan on Thursday after it was recommended by its cricket committee, with a year-long trial slated for next year if it is approved.
Under the new proposals, the away team would be allowed to choose whether to bat, bowl or still have a toss if the condition of the pitch is uncertain. At this stage, there are no plans to introduce the rule in Division One or for domestic limited-overs cricket.
An ECB spokesman told Telegraph Sport the proposal is “part of wider effort to produce better quality pitches and to encourage spinners to have a greater role”.
The coin toss has always been a part of cricket and is mentioned in the first recorded laws of the game in 1744. The ECB is hoping that doing away with the tradition will mean that more County Championship matches will last for four days.
