- Paul Farbrace wants to see more in-form players seleceted
- Uncapped in-form trio of Gay, Baker and Rew in line for debuts
- Ollie Robinson recalled to squad, after over a year out
Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace feels that “the sooner the counties and the England team are more aligned than they have been, the better”, when it come to selecting in form players.
Farbrace once said that England’s head coach Brendon McCullum hd ‘no interest’ in the county game. England’s dismal display in the Ashes last winter prompted ECB managing director Rob Key to get everyone together and discuss the plans.
The England management met with their counterparts in the domestic game before the season in a bid to reset relations. The call gave some clarity to the counties about what the ECB are looking for in future England and England Lions players.
Off the back of that call in April, players like Emilio Gay and James Rew, who are in form for their counties, being selected. Both Gay and Rew have been ReadCricket’s Player of the Week in the past. Gay has scored 552 runs for Durham at 78.85. Rew has 478 runs for Somerset at an average of 47.8.
Another uncapped player is Sonny Baker of Hampshire. He has taken 19 wickets at 21.68 this season so far – the best of the bowling unit selected.
“Crux of County Cricket”
Former England assistant head coach Farbrace is happy that the selectors picked in form players. Sussex Seamer Ollie Robinson was recalled to the Test team, having taken 18 wickets at 26.27. Whilst fellow seamer Henry Crocombe was selected for the Lions to face South Africa. Crocombe has taken 19 wickets at 29.47. He said:
“That is the crux of county cricket. The sooner the counties and the England team are more aligned than they have been, the better. That’s what, in my view, county cricket is about. I know some counties don’t like having players selected for the Lions or for England, and they talk about ‘losing them’. I think it’s absolutely brilliant, because it shows the hard work that our coaching staff are doing. You want people to play at the highest level. I want [James] Coles, [Tom] Haines and [Jack] Carson to be talked about playing for England as well.”
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