Yorkshire cricket chairman Bob Platt today hit out at plans to abolish the toss in county championship matches this coming season and said that the club would vote against the proposal at a meeting of the First Class Forum at Lord's in March.

If the plan were implemented, the visiting captain would be able to choose whether he wanted his side to bat or bowl first.

The thinking behind the proposal, which was first discussed by the Forum in December before being deferred until their next meeting for a decision, is that it will help to stop home teams preparing pitches to suit their own bowlers.

But Platt said today: "I am utterly opposed to the idea and we will be definitely be voting against it.

"It takes all the basic intelligence out of the game and if a captain cannot read a pitch correctly before the toss then he shouldn't be leading his side.

"Making the right decision is what the game is all about and it is totally illogical to consider disposing of the toss.

"Home teams have always prepared pitches to suit their own players and this is exactly what Surrey did in the 50s and Worcestershire in the 60s when they were so successful in the championship."

Platt said that Yorkshire's general committee would be discussing the issue further at their meeting next week and he felt they may decide to lobby other counties in a bid to get them to oppose the plan.

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