As the new domestic season begins, Surrey's captain Rory Burns advocates for the preservation of the County Championship, asserting its relevance despite the popularity of shorter formats. He acknowledges the financial success of T20 and The Hundred but insists that traditional formats remain vital for nurturing cricket's future. Burns points out that recent selections for England highlight potential over proven first-class records, but he argues that the Championship's contributions to the game remain essential for Test selection and audience engagement. He calls for stakeholders to unite in this effort.
I think it's brilliant we have T20 and The Hundred. We have to appreciate in the ecosystem of the game that's our cash cow but we also need to protect what is the best format.
You see Tests in day four and day five and they are going to the wire, people are fully engaged and watching so it's how we use that as a gateway to getting eyeballs on our game and how we grow.
It's down to the guys in those decision-making positions, how they want to pick the sides. I think the cycles that selection goes in, it generally flips round once people in the decision-making position change.
Even if it is currently en vogue to pick on potential rather than weight of stats in domestic cricket, runs and wickets in the County Championship are still highly relevant for England Test selection.
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