We have all bemoaned at how little today's England International players get to play for their counties. But even the most ardent county supporter must be raising an eyebrow at the ECB's latest decision.
Samit Patel, Jonny Bairstow and Jade Dernbach have all been released to play in tomorrow's T20 matches for their respective counties before returning to the England squad on Monday. England play the West Indies on Tuesday at the Kia Oval with a 10.45am start. Jade Dernbach will have the shortest journey from the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, to Kent, to the Oval. Samit Patel's trip will be Southampton-Durham-The Oval. Whereas Bairstow will travel from Southampton to Yorkshire to the Oval.
I understand that T20 is the shortest format of the game, but surely our players clocking up all these miles in such a short space of time isn't the best way the ECB could be managing their workload? Unfortunately it is not a one-off either. When the Aussies come over next yea,r England play a floodlight T20 at the Ageas Bowl on Thursday 29th August then play another T20 on Saturday 31st August in Durham.
After all the talk of James Anderson and Stuart Broad being rested from for the last Test of the West Indies series, it feels like the ECB have gone from one extreme to another with releasing Patel, Bairstow and Dernbach to their counties.
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