Thursday 26 November 2015 19:57, UK
Cricket's traditional coin toss will be altered in both divisions of next season's County Championship, the England and Wales Cricket Board has confirmed.
A 2016 trial, designed to encourage better pitches in the four-day domestic game, will see the visiting captain offered the chance to bowl first in every Championship game. A toss will only take place if he declines that option.
The innovation was proposed by the ECB's nine-man Cricket Committee - which features Director of England Cricket Andrew Strauss - as a way of discouraging home sides from preparing wickets initially helpful to seam bowlers.
Improving spin bowling is high on the ECB's agenda, and Sky Sports' Bob Willis was among many experts who criticised the performances of England's slow bowlers during the recent Test series against Pakistan.
Cricket Committee chairman Peter Wright said: "It isn't all about spin... but it is fair to say that the plight of spin bowling in this country brought things into focus.
"Figures showing that spinners bowled only 21.5 per cent of the overs in the 2015 Championship were presented to the committee and we have come to the conclusion that the only way to bring spin bowlers more into the game is to provide better pitches for them to bowl on.
"Of course counties want to win matches, and that generally means taking 20 wickets. That has to be a reason we have seen a lot of pitches that start a bit green and damp, and get better as the game goes on, rather than deteriorating to help the spinners.
"But another main function of the County Championship is to develop players for England. We don't think it has been serving that purpose for spinners.
"By giving the away team the option of bowling first, we hope the home side will be encouraged to produce the best possible four-day pitch.
"That will be good for cricket in general, and not only for spinners: batsmen should also benefit, from better pitches which will lead to them facing more spin bowling; and if pitches start drier, the ball may scuff up a bit more and produce more reverse swing."
The proposal met with instant opposition on social media as Andrew Gale, captain of champions Yorkshire, tweeted: "So no coin toss next year if away team doesn't want it?! Absolute madness. 2018, batters aren't allowed pads either and bowlers can only come off 5 steps!! If the pitches are bad, why have no points been deducted in past few seasons??"
The ECB Board also endorsed changes to the regulations governing the use of helmets across the professional and recreational game.
From next season, all male and female cricketers playing in professional cricket matches will be required to use helmets which meet the latest British safety standard.
The key changes will apply to batsmen facing all types of bowling, wicket-keepers standing up to the wicket and fielders closer than eight yards from the batsman's middle stump, except behind the wicket on the off side.
