'I'm a big fan of taking away the toss' - Du Plessis

[slippy888]

The visiting team outclassed in unfamiliar conditions, twice being dismissed for less than 200; the match - barely competitive - hurtling to a conclusion inside three days. The above could describe either of South Africa's two most recent matches against Sri Lanka. In Johannesburg last year, a South Africa attack featuring four frontline quicks had scythed through Sri Lanka twice to record a victory of an innings and 118 runs. Now, in Galle, Sri Lanka's trio of spinners have dismissed South Africa for record-low totals to sweep to victory by 278 runs.

These kinds of disparate results are why Test cricket should do away with the toss and instead allow visiting teams to choose whether to bat or bowl first, South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has said. South Africa have only recently become outspoken about creating made-to-order pitches at home, while New Zealand have also attempted to capitalise on their seam-bowling advantage by preparing very green tracks for Asian sides in recent years. In South Asia, meanwhile, teams have long produced tracks to suit themselves.

These practices are why the ICC cricket committee recently considered doing away with the toss, before eventually deciding to keep it. Du Plessis, though, wants a toss-less Test future.

'I'm a big fan of taking away the toss' - Du Plessis - ESPNcricinfo


Looks a good idea i think there should be a bowl out to determine who has more advantage to bat or bowl first, add more skill rather than a coin toss.

 

[slippy888]

I made a thread about this


http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/cricket-chat/66276-toss.html

 

[Black_Warrior]

I'm all for home advantage and preparing conditions to suit your strengths which is why I support doing away with the toss in Test cricket. Every decision/strategy in sport comes with a catch which is what makes it challenging and beautiful. This is what makes it so meaningful when someone manages to pull it off despite the risks. You want to attack with 5 slips, gully and point? Sure..you run the risk of conceding runs down the ground and the leg side. You want to attack the new ball? Sure..you run the risk of edging one behind.

Similarly, there should be something you have to concede in order to get the conditions you want and that should be the toss. You get the pitch, the visiting team gets to decide what to do with it.

 

[vcs]

Don't think it would have made much difference to the way this particular match unfolded.. given the way SA batted. An innings loss when your bowlers conceded < 300 would have been even more embarrassing.

 

[Bolo]

Don't think it would have made much difference to the way this particular match unfolded.. given the way SA batted. An innings loss when your bowlers conceded < 300 would have been even more embarrassing.

It wouldn't matter to this match, but I think he is commenting generally and it would matter to some.

Great idea on the one hand.

I'm concerned it would lead to too many roads though. If a country produces a pitch that favours quicks-bats-spinners by time played things come out pretty even and make for sporting pitches. But in a country like Lanka or AUS the home team would always rather bat first. They might minimise this disadvantage by prepping pitches that don't break up over the course of a match, which means some very dull games.

 

[cnerd123]

I don't think we see that many pitches where winning the toss wins you the game.

But yea I'm all for this.

 

[Borges]

This will lead to even more roads being prepared, unless the visiting team is a minnow like Bangladesh on seam friendly wickets.
How does one prepare a result oriented wicket where winning the toss does not yield any advantage?
Why would anyone deliberately prepare a result wicket and yield an advantage to the visiting team, even before the game starts?

 

[trundler]

A part of me agrees with what is being said here while another one thinks this will lead to roads, take away an important cricketing tradition, and that players should suck it up and battle adverse conditions. But then again, the last bit was also said regarding uncovered pitches.

 

[mr_mister]

it's a bit suspicious to say this right after your team cops a drubbing in an away test. sounds like he's making an excuse for the loss


never been a fan of Faf honestly

 

[slippy888]

it's a bit suspicious to say this right after your team cops a drubbing in an away test. sounds like he's making an excuse for the loss


never been a fan of Faf honestly

Faf seems one of the better guys in cricket for me

 

[FBU]

Love the toss.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

while New Zealand have also attempted to capitalise on their seam-bowling advantage by preparing very green tracks for Asian sides in recent years.

Lol. NZ pitches just look very green. After lunch on the first day, there's barely been anything in most of them. NZ has been serving up roads to our Asian (Shakib dbl ton, Sanga dbl ton) and even Australian tourists (Voges dbl ton) in recent years. Even Nicholls got a century against the SA attack in a comical innings where the rest of the batsmen started playing for day 1 spin that wasn't really there, and BMac got a dbl and tripple vs India the pitches were that flat.

NZ would have been in a lot more trouble without Wagner banging it in.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

it's a bit suspicious to say this right after your team cops a drubbing in an away test. sounds like he's making an excuse for the loss


never been a fan of Faf honestly

He's grown on me to be honest. I don't mind him.

 

[Daemon]

No doubt Faf did this interview topless

 

[Bolo]

The timing of the comment leaves something to be desired. The opinion certainly would not be a response to the loss though. RSA would benefit more from doing away with the toss than any other country, so it might be more fair to question his motivation for the opinion.

I am curious about the timing though. It was always going to end up looking like sour grapes. Was this him putting his foot in his mouth by offering this up out of the blue, was it a logical progression of discussion, or was it a direct question intended to stir controversy from a journalist who knew his answer?

 

[cnerd123]

SA would have still lost even if they batted first IMO

I do see the issue with this idea tho - we're likely to just see the touring side bat first in basically all Test matches. I don't think this necessarily increases their odds to win significantly, it's just boring.

 

[Burgey]

Just like your posts.

 

[Slifer]

Hmm didn't make these suggestions when rsa were whipping sl at home but now wants to do away with tosses. Interesting timing...

 

[TheJediBrah]

it's a bit suspicious to say this right after your team cops a drubbing in an away test. sounds like he's making an excuse for the loss


never been a fan of Faf honestly

I like when he called for harsher treatment of ball tampering a few weeks ago

 

[YorksLanka]

Hmm didn't make these suggestions when rsa were whipping sl at home but now wants to do away with tosses. Interesting timing...

exactly and for me, that's the excitement of away tests- watching your team squirm under unfamiliar conditions and hoping they will adapt..