England Cricket 2025

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Callumcafc said:

billysboots said:

Not sure if it’s related , but Australia only have 6 first class states that play shield red ball cricket , so the standard is invariably better than our county cricket where any talent is diluted across 18 counties. I can’t remember them having too many overseas players in those sides either.

This is the elephant in the room that I don’t think many people will want to address.

Would be horrific if we invariably lost high level CC in places like Kent and Sussex (who would definitely be up for the chop in favour of Surrey) - but what good is it doing to have the likes of Joe Root or Jofra Archer playing against Northamptonshire?

Are we saying that time in the middle alone is good enough to help these talents progress regardless of who the opposition is, or do we need to find a way to concentrate talent in a few select places to ensure the most competitive and pressurised environments to find the best performers?

To which I would respond by saying that the likes of Head, Carey, Labushagne etc etc will play club cricket, as and when they they don't have State or international commitments and feel the need to. Spencer Johnson played for Australia on a Wednesday, his club on the Saturday and Australia again on the following Thursday. They do that because they either don't want to either lose form or need to gain it. No one has to tell them to do so. 

Time in the middle, providing it is of a reasonable standard, does help. Bethell played two CC matches and no club games last season and Bashir can't get a game despite the fact we have 18 counties. That simply does not aid their development.

If county cricket is so worthless why has Labuschagne bothered to play for Glamorgan when the only season in the last six years he missed was because of covid? Because he wants to be able do the very thing that Bethell isn't doing. Play in England against the moving ball. Head has done it and struggled doing so for Sussex but the experience made him a better player. Smith played for Sussex too, Countless others have done so. Weatherald was playing club cricket here a couple of years ago. 

If we made all of the fit 30 centrally contracted players play red ball then we would raise the standard. Combined with a couple of former England internationals in the team plus two overseas plus and an "overseas" British Passport holder (e.g. Worrall) and you have a meaningful side. Dilute that to six sides and you'll find more and more Bethells and Bashirs sitting on the sidelines.

Equally, with two divisions, then the cream would rise to the top i.e. a regular top five containing Root, Brook and Bairstow shouldn't be in Div 2 for too long albeit that facing a Durham attack of Wood, Carse, Stokes and Potts might be the challenge they need.  

The real trouble it that our players are so protected for fear of "burn out" and protected by those central contracts. Australians are more hardy and not so reliant on the respective and mutual mediocrity that our players are allowed to wallow in.