The ICC Cricket Committee, chaired by former India captain Anil Kumble, has recommended that the tradition of the pre-match coin toss stays in place during the World Test Championship, scheduled to start in July next year, after a meeting on Tuesday May 29.
The committee, however, stressed the need to further strengthen sanctions against ball tampering and on-field personal abuse.
The status of the toss in Test matches has been a matter of debate because of the heavy advantage enjoyed by home sides, which makes the result of matches often a foregone conclusion. There have been calls for the toss to be scrapped in a bid to restore balance, with visiting teams opting whether to bat or field.
However, the committee felt after discussions that the coin toss was “an integral part of Test cricket which forms part of the narrative of the game”.
The committee reviewed those incidents, and voted in favour of making sanctions against those who breach the rules stronger.
“The Committee echoed the sentiments of the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee and the ICC Board, and, as such, we have made a series of recommendations as part of the creation of a culture of respect we can all adhere to,” said Kumble.
“The group felt that excessive personal abuse and ball tampering were serious offences in the game and that should be reflected in the way in which they are dealt with. There was also strong support for giving the match officials more authority and subsequently greater support around their decision making.”
The recommendations will be considered by the Chief Executives’ Committee during its meeting in June, and thereafter, the ICC Board will have to ratify them before they come into effect.
