Australia coach Darren Lehmann backs scrapping of toss

Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann has given his support to the idea of scrapping the toss while being open-minded about the concept of four-day Test cricket. Australia played against New Zealand in the first ever day-night Test in Adelaide last week which also generated debate about making Test cricket more competitive and more attractive for the spectators.

The likes of Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh and Michael Holding have all expressed support for scrapping the toss, something the ECB will try in county cricket next year. Under the ECB’s trial, the visiting team will automatically be given the option of fielding first and only if they decline will the toss will go ahead as usual.

“That is one that should definitely come in to cricket, where the opposition gets the right to choose what they want to do. I reckon it will stop all the wickets suiting the home team,” Lehmann said.

He continued, “As you saw in Perth, the wickets don’t suit how we want to play sometimes and in Australia in general the wickets have been fantastic for years, it doesn’t really matter on the toss, who wins or not. But in some other places it certainly has a big bearing on the game.”

The MCC World Cricket Committee also expressed its concerns about pitch preparation last week and it was the same committee that pushed for day-night Tests and Lehmann said he liked the concept.

“I thought it was a great concept,” he said. “It was probably over a little bit quick for my liking in terms of the game but it was exciting for three days and it could have gone either way. Maybe a little less grass [on the pitch] and maybe get the ball a little bit darker in the seam, but it’s only a little bit of tweaking. I was quite impressed by it. I know the fans loved it … we have just got to make it better.”

Four-day Test cricket has also been floated as a possible way of keeping fans interested and Lehmann said he did not mind the idea but was unsure whether the extra overs could be easily fitted in.

“We don’t bowl our 90 overs in a day as it is, so that is probably the only thing. But I’m open to all those sorts of things. Whatever makes the game better for the fans is pretty important,” he said.