BBL to replace coin toss with "bat flip"

Big Bash League will be replacing the traditional coin toss with a "bat flip" in its upcoming 2018-19 edition that starts December 19. Instead of the conventional "heads" or "tails", captains will now be calling out "hills" or flats" at the toss.

"For me it's a great moment which reflects what BBL is about," Cricket Australia's head of the Big Bash League, Kim McConnie, said. "If you think about a coin toss, it's not really what kids do. If you're out in the backyard what do you do? You toss the bat to decide."

Now that a bat will go up in the air instead of a coin, which is flat on both sides, why should the captains not go for "hills" all the time? Because it's logical to assume that a bat lands on its flat more often than not. BBL plans to eliminate this bias with specially designed bats that is equally likely to land on its flat or its hill.

"You'd be surprised at the science that's gone into this," McConnie said. "It is a specially weighted bat to make sure that it is 50-50. I've got it from great authority at our Kookaburra friends that this is a tested and weighted bat to deliver that equity."

BBL also introduced the world to zing bails, which light up when the stumps are broken, that have become a common sighting in T20 matches played around the world. BBL hopes to pull something similar with this left-field decision.

"Some people don't like change but I'd also challenge people to say when was the last time anyone watched the coin toss or really focused on it to a great extent? Now we are making it much more relevant to families, we are creating a moment which is much more fitting with kids."

Chris Lynn is set to become the first captain to do the "bat flip" when his side Brisbane Heat take on Adelaide Striker at the Gabba.