Pak first class cricket set to have new toss system

ISLAMABAD: Toss will not be the same again before the start of newly formatted first class cricket getting under way at different venues of the country from the second week of September.

A well-placed source confirmed to The News that the home team’s advantage on the toss has been scrapped in an effort to give both sides equal chances right from the start of a first class match.

The visiting team will have the option to bowl first before the start of each of the first class match. However, if the visiting team decides against bowling first, the option of toss will then emerge.

“The home team will have no extra advantage when it comes to toss at the start of the first class match. Usually what happens is that the home side prefer making grassy pitches or the pitches that suits pacers. Since the home team knows the behavior of the match in a better way, they prefer bowling after winning the toss. Under the new playing conditions, the coin will be tossed once the visitors deny the first option available with them and that is to bowl first,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) domestic cricket affairs official said.

The visiting team cannot bat first though they can bowl first. “After visiting team denial to bowl first, the coin will be tossed to know as which team will bat first. The change has been made to keep the options neutral rather than giving extra advantage to the home team that usually knows about the behavior of the track much better.”

Wasim Khan, Managing Director (MD) PCB hinted at making such changes during his March 2019 media talk in Islamabad. However, at that time he was not sure as what would be ultimately value of the toss in a new system.

Wasim was quoted to have said “I am surprised to see the scorecard of couple of years first class cricket. It gave me the impression that there is something seriously wrong. Matches finishing in couple of days, teams getting out for low score, no hard and tough matches that should be the forte of any first class cricket and more such things that I think contributed to the fate of the first class cricket that we see today in Pakistan. We are considering other options and are even contemplating having no toss before a first class match,” he said.

Now the PCB has come up with the new idea and that is to minimize the impact of a toss for home team. “Now we believe that better supporting pitches are to be prepared for the coming first class season. There is a dire need to have competitive pitches for first class cricket. Every effort and measure has been ensured to have good playing strips. The curators performance would go under scrutiny and those showing the skills and required knowledge would stay,” the PCB official said.

The PCB is expected to announce details on the first class cricket after August 27 pending case hearing at the Lahore High Court.