World Test Championship on the agenda in Mumbai

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The ICC Cricket Committee will gather in Mumbai from the 28th of May to discuss, among other things, the playing conditions for the World Test Championship.

The Championship is scheduled to begin after the 2019 World Cup, with the final is to be played from June 10 2021.

The venue for the final is yet to be determined but early indications are that it will be at Lord’s.

The committee headed by Anil Kumble will offer advice to the board on a number of significant matters including the points system and whether or not to do away with the toss.

Some of the proposed changes were distributed to the media via briefing notes.

ESPN Cricinfo quote the document as stating: “There is serious concern about the current level of home team interference in Test pitch preparation, and more than one committee member believes that the toss should be automatically awarded to the visiting team in each match, although there are some others on the committee who do not share that view.”

Another subject on the agenda will be day-night Tests with limited right of refusal for visiting teams set to be recommended. Under those conditions India would not have been able to refuse to play a day-night Test on their tour to Australia. It is understood that teams can only refuse more than one day-night Test and they must be afforded a warm-up match under lights of at least two days.

There is a possibility that pitches rated poor could carry a points penalty, with the briefing notes adding: “If a match is abandoned because the pitch or outfield is too dangerous for play to continue, and the pitch is subsequently rated as UNFIT by the match referee, the match will be considered to have been won by the visiting team when the competition points are allocated for that series.”

Kumble’s committee will also discuss potential points penalties for behavioural issues and slow over rates.

The ball’s used will be determined by the hosting board with the final likely to use the ball of choice in the hosting nation.

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