4 Alternatives to the toss in Cricket
The stage is set for the press conference after a world cup final. The losing captain, with his eyes looking at the mic says, “The toss played a crucial part in deciding the game”. Well, that’s how indispensable a toss is. But, it has now become the topic of debate in the cricket circle after the great former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting pitched in with an idea of scrapping it out in test cricket.The idea seemed as a boon to many as it could compensate for the advantages that the hosts enjoy in a test series. On the other side of the proverbial coin, there is every chance that a change in the toss system could lead to chaos and instability.Ponting’s words invited both support and criticism as players like Steve Waugh and Michael Holding have given a nod to the idea while the International Cricket Council (ICC) is yet to look into it.But, what if this scenario turns out to be the end of the road for the ‘ traditional toss’? Well, here are four possible ways to substitute the flipping of the coin.
#1 The Away Advantage
For a long time now, there has been a cry that the visiting side fails to study the away conditions extensively to produce a fighting performance. There have been cases where the home side has tamed the opposition, serving as examples to the phrase ‘child’s play’. In cases of short tours, the visitors even end up playing the international matches without any prior practice matches.
The home team on the other hand shall always have a better knowledge of the prevailing conditions which gives them a slight edge over the opposition even before the inception of a match. If at all this effect is to be nullified, the away team can be given the chance to decide whether to bat or bowl, which in turn shall correct the balance between the teams somewhat.