Cricketers have called for changes to the county championship schedule due to concerns over player safety.
Research from the Professional Cricketers’ Association found that 81 percent of cricketers said the fixture list caused physical concerns, while 76 percent were worried about unsafe travel after a tight turnaround between games.
The PCA conducted research at pre-season meetings with all 18 first-class counties and found that 66 per cent of players believe county cricket plays too much cricket in the summer.
England all-rounder Joe Root, who played for Yorkshire at the start of the county summer, is among the big names to express concern about the busy schedule.
“I have a huge passion for county cricket and it is obvious that the schedule needs to be changed for a variety of reasons to achieve lasting benefits for English cricket,” he said.
“County cricket is the breeding ground for some of the game’s best talent and this requires world-leading structures to enable players to reach their full potential. This is an advantage for everyone in the game.
“We are trying to find a way to bring the level of first-class cricket as close to the international game as possible.”
“There are a large number of players who do not believe that the game plan as it stands is conducive to performance at a high level. We have to find a way to narrow this gap and improve the product.”
Root added: “There is so much cricket and there is so much to cover. It won’t always be perfect, we know that, but if there is a way to find a middle ground and meet somewhere closer to the middle where the players are safer and.” If the result of the games is of a higher quality, will win English cricket.
“Having space to recover, prepare and improve your game throughout the season is vitally important and creating minimum standards to protect travel windows and player welfare is non-negotiable.”
The PCA also found that 10 per cent of cricketers used their mental health services during the year and chief operating officer Daryl Mitchell believes this is partly due to the rigor of the schedule and is having a long-term impact on the quality of the game.
“From my own experience as a hitter, the sequential nature of the sport is tough,” Mitchell said.
“When you go through a period of poor form, you don’t have the time to practice and work on your own game, especially in red-ball cricket.”
“On the days you have off, you tend to rest, and that doesn’t allow you to get your game in better shape.”
“A reduction in cricket must urgently be seen as the solution the sport desperately needs.”
Joe Root was an important part of the England Test squad earlier this year, scoring his 31st Test hundred against India in Ranchi
There are concerns that less cricket played throughout the season could negatively impact the quality of sport across the country. However, former England captain Root believes this will have the opposite effect.
“By reducing the amount of cricket played, there would be more recovery and preparation time and therefore the standard would rise,” said Root.
“I think it would fit in well with a lot of the things the English Cricket Board are trying to do to reduce the gap between county cricket and international cricket.”
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