Cricket: How 郡s are 殺人，大当り the game

It was an image which perfectly 増強するd what the Australians perceive as the stereo-type of the pampered young English professional cricketer.

As the tourists' bus arrived at Edgbaston before the first 実験（する）, so did the plush sponsored car of 見込みのある debutant Usman Afzaal, sunglasses on and 動きやすい phone pinned to his ear.

によれば one Australian player, knowing ちらりと見ることs were 交流d on the coach and lips were licked at the prospect of cutting 負かす／撃墜する another 井戸／弁護士席-rewarded, uncapped 製品 of the English 郡 system.

In fairness to Afzaal, he is far from 存在 one of its wastrels. But the image was enough to 支える Aussie prejudices about what they see as our soft 国内の game.

によれば England coach Duncan Fletcher, it may be getting softer. に引き続いて the 3-0 Ashes drubbing, he 表明するd the depressing 見解（をとる） that the gap between 実験（する） and 国内の cricket is larger than ever.

He said: 'I saw a slight 減少（する） in 基準s between 1997, when I joined Glamorgan, and 1999, when I left. I 港／避難所't seen a lot of 郡 cricket since because I've been so busy with England, but players and others I speak to seem to think that's the 事例／患者.

'There are some good players out there, and once they get to 実験（する） level they can 改善する. What worries me is that it takes a little bit longer if the 基準 isn't の近くに enough to the 要求するd level.'

Once again the English system is under の近くに scrutiny, an 理解できる and 必然的な 製品 of 失望／欲求不満 at a seventh 連続した Ashes 敗北・負かす.

It 事柄s little that these Australians form one of the finest teams - some would say the finest - to visit these or any other shores, or that England's 最近の 実験（する） series 記録，記録的な／記録する reads played six, won four, drawn one, lost one.

非難するing systems is always easier than 非難するing individuals, but Fletcher also believes there is no 代用品，人 for players taking persona l 責任／義務. He said: 'They have to point the finger at themselves at some 行う／開催する／段階 and not just their 郡s. They have to realise a lot of work has to go in to make it.'

There are many imperfections about England's 国内の cricket, but it would be nonsense to say there has been no 進歩 since the annus horribilis of 1999 when an abysmal World Cup was followed by home 敗北・負かす against New Zealand.

The idea is enough to get steam coming out of the ears of England Cricket Board 長，指導者 (n)役員／(a)執行力のある Tim Lamb, who was yesterday ガス／煙ing at the suggestion that we are somehow 支援する at 激しく揺する 底（に届く）.

He said: 'I'm disappointed and very irritated by this idea that the wheels have 完全に come off.

'We do have a long way to go before we can （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 these Australians, but we have shown that we're 競争の激しい with other nations and are third in the 実験（する） 選手権.'

Lamb takes 問題／発行する with Fletcher's 見解（をとる） of 郡 cricket, and does not 約束 a 革命 like that favoured by Sportsmail columnist （頭が）ひょいと動く Willis, who wants the number of players 削減（する） and three six-team 国内の 分割s.

Lamb said: 'The feedback I get from players is that the two-分割 system has made our cricket a lot more 激しい and 競争の激しい.

'I'm not （人命などを）奪う，主張するing it's the answer to everything, but with the money we're spending on 国家の and 地域の 学院s, and the 改善するing 基準s in junior cricket, we are moving 今後.

'I'm not in favour of 減ずるing the 18 郡s. We have three times the 全住民 of Australia and therefore we せねばならない be able to support three times as many centres.'

That comes at a price, though. 郡s received around £1.2million each from central 基金s last year - more than 50 per cent of turnover for 非，不，無-実験（する） Match grounds - yet the 大多数 報告（する）／憶測d a loss.

The next major changes in English cricket would not come about until 2003 when 提案s 現在／一般に 存在 formul ated by an ECB working party could be 器具／実施するd.

These might 含む より小数の first-class matches, more floodlit cricket and an end to the madhouse 経済的なs of a 完全に professional second XI game.

The quantum leap of 減ずるing the 郡s is ありそうもない to come about in the foreseeable 未来, even though ECB chairman Lord MacLaurin would like to see it. The 郡 プロの／賛成のs' 慰安 zone will take a long time to kill.