Two-time World Cup winner Australia’s Darren Lehmann has thrown his weight behind county cricket and the idea that more and more budding cricketers doing well there should be given a chance with the English team.
In the last few years, the English cricket team has been seen confined to a set of players, not looking beyond them, no matter how poor they have been. This has led to growing frustrations among county cricketers as well as coaches.
England have been quite sub-standard in Test cricket during this period. In December-January, they lost the Ashes 4-1 in an abysmal manner. In the home summer Test series last year against India, they were held to a 2-2 draw.
But if truth be told, had India been a bit clinical, they could have won the rubber quite comfortably. The T20 World Cup didn’t bring them good tidings either, creating a very bad atmosphere in English cricket. They lost to eventual champions India in the semis.
However, despite the Ashes and other debacles, they decided to retain coach Brendon McCullum, Test captain Ben Stokes and director of cricket Rob Key a few days ago. But Key has made it clear they are going to change their approach now, and tracking county cricket is something they are quite serious about. Lehmann, from the rival Aussie camp, offers his two cents on the matter.
The Northamptonshire coach, in charge since last year, is no different from others and has called for corrective measures. “I think you will see a really marked improvement in that regard from the ECB,” Lehmann, who also coached Australia during their triumph in 2015, told BBC Look East.
“The [England] players don’t play enough county cricket. They should play more but that’s not my call.
“I think the ECB wants to get close to the counties, they don’t want to be that matriarch, you feel like they want to make sure all the counties are listened to and that they’re getting around to watch as much as they can.
“There are a lot of good county players that could have been on the tour if they’d probably seen and taken notice of them a little bit more,” he added.
Saif Zaib of Northamptonshire last season was the highest run-getter. He hit six centuries and averaged around 65, but despite that, he failed to get into England’s ranks. There were many more such players who should have been tested at the highest level after a fantastic season in county cricket. Hopefully, things will change this season.
The new season of county cricket starts this week.
