Mickey Arthur, former South Africa, Australia, and Sri Lanka coach, has stated that England players must stop playing the IPL so that their Test fortunes can improve.
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England is currently the No.1 ranked team when it comes to Twenty20 Internationals and second in ODIs. But, their Test form in the last couple of years has been woeful. They were thrashed 1-3 in India and are on the cusp of losing to the Indian team at home. England has lost three consecutive series to New Zealand since 2017. But, in the Ashes contest in Australia, they have been woeful. They have lost 13 out of the 15 Tests they have played since 2013 Down Under.
In the recent Ashes contest in 2021/22, Australia hammered England 4-0. The England cricket team did not cross 300 even once in the entire tour. This prompted many analysts to say that the County System in England was not good enough. But, Mickey Arthur, the former coach of South Africa, Australia, and Sri Lanka in the past, has a different explanation. Currently serving as the head of cricket in Derbyshire, Mickey Arthur has said the England players will have to forego playing in the IPL in order to perform better in Tests.
Several England players are going to play in the IPL 2022 for several franchises. However, the likes of Joe Root and Ben Stokes will focus primarily on Test cricket and not on the IPL.
Read – Chris Silverwood removed as England coach following Ashes Debacle
Speaking to the Times Newspaper, Mickey Arthur said, “England haven’t scored enough runs. It’s as simple as that. If you want to lay the blame, you can lay it right there. County cricket isn’t to blame. For so long county cricket has been a really good producer of international players. I don’t think there’s a problem with the system. If you want the strength early season, unfortunately, you are going to have to stop the players going to the IPL. They are playing there in the early part of the season just before the first tests. You need your best players playing county cricket preparing for that.” The County season will begin in the first week of April. In many cases, most of the players will not be available as they will be on IPL duty.
In the last couple of years, England’s white-ball fortunes have taken a big upswing due to the IPL. They won the ICC World Cup in 2019 albeit on a technicality. They have been regularly performing well in limited-overs cricket. But, Mickey Arthur’s suggestion might be a bitter pill to swallow as England look to overhaul their entire Test system in the wake of the Ashes.
