Social media spats do unfair disservice to county game

SAM DALLING: This article is not personal, nor is a comment on Kevin Pietersen's character or personality. But the assumption that county cricket is subservient to the betterment of the Test side grates on many. Why? Because it is false

"Why are some of you against franchising CC?" A fair question posed. Except it didn't stop there. "Don't reply using words like, money, loyalty or tradition/history! I want cricket reasons as to why it would harm England's Test team?"

Now, when such restrictions are imposed on responses, the query is virtually rhetorical. It amounts to nothing more than a premeditated bout of selected deafness.

It was Kevin Pietersen's tweet.

Pietersen was a world-class batter, a multi-format entertainer the likes of whom England may never see again. His innovative pyrotechnics brought joy and excitement to many. He was a cricketing pioneer. These days he is excelling in rhino conservation. Kudos for that.  

But Pietersen is also indulging in some long-distance, semi-detached County Championship bashing.

Let's be clear, this article is not personal, nor is a comment on his character or personality. Sniping at people is not on, whether in Mental Health Awareness month or otherwise. Plus, one must recognise the difficulties with context within Twitter's restricted characters counts.

Neither are these words aimed at Pietersen - there is no place for such hostile couching - but they are about a view he expressed. And those views matter because of his high profile; they are read, and taken as read, by many.  

^{Kevin Pietersen has been very vocal about the future of county cricket [Stu Forster/Getty Images]}

Avoidance of battle language means this is not a defence. It doesn't need to be either. The assumption that English domestic red-ball cricket is subservient to the betterment of the Test side grates on many. Why? Because it is false, complete nonsense.

True, there is much intertwinement. The ECB provides necessary funding, without which some counties would not be here. And ideally, superstars in the making would excel in the tournament and move into international cricket. Some do, others find different routes. There are the Lions and any number of franchised leagues around the world.

There are also many degrees of separation between England and the LV= Insurance County Championship. The latter may lack full self-sufficiency, but it still stands proud and tall.

Why else would Sam Northeast move to Glamorgan rather than retire? Barring a strong gale, his England chances are gone. Why else would Darren Stevens continue to bustle in well into his 40s?

Is Brooke Guest going to play Test cricket? Highly unlikely (said with respect) yet he switched Lancashire for Derbyshire. That move, much to the delight of Guest, his teammates and the locals, is now bearing fruit.

For many - if not a majority - of players, the title remains the Holy Grail. Franchise that and immediately the identity, the connection, is lost forever.

Keeping tradition out of the conversation is daft. This is, after all, a sport where there is much fuss over a small pot of dust. And by definition every day that has gone before this one is historical. So yes to forward thinking, but not at the expense of all that has passed previously.

On the topic of the past, Pietersen ought not bite the hand that previously provided nourishment. Lest we forget he arrived as an inexperienced lower-order spinner. Two seasons of Division Two domination were followed by a similarly productive top-tier output. The rest is, well, history.

It is pointless saying Pietersen would not have had a career without Nottinghamshire taking a punt. A man of his ability would likely have found another route into the game. But it would also miss the point: the record books show the tournament was his springboard. Pietersen's story is just one of many marvellous yarns to come from our domestic game.

And so, that must be protected. For history. For tradition. For loyalty. For love, hope and despair. For all those things and so many more.

^{The downturn in form of England's Test team has prompted a review into English cricket [Gareth Copley/Getty Images]}

For the parents who can nip into county grounds post-tea and tell their infants of the greats that once stood before them, and point out the rickety old stands long since replaced.

For the clubs at the heart of their community, like Leicestershire who just this week gave away 4,000 complimentary tickets to locals, and Middlesex who have hosted thousands of schoolchildren in recent weeks.

For the players, coaches, office staff, stewards, student caterers who rely on the county game for an income, as well as it being a way of life.

For those like Derbshire photographer and stats guru David Griffin. For Annie Chave, who quite literally by hand runs a magazine promoting the game. For Surrey’s 15,000 members, and the devotees of the other 17 counties.

So say those at the forefront like Gareth Batty and Mickey Arthur, and those like Jason Gillespie who remain close to the game. So says Simon Harmer, who was back in an Essex shirt 48 hours after a Test in Gqeberha concluded. They get it. Growth not shrinkage.

Pietersen may well speak for some current players but they should use their own voices.

Maybe that is harsh. It may well be that every Thursday, Pietersen diligently sets up the laptop ready for session one on the live stream. The County Championship is global nowadays, every ball available is visual and oral format. He should think twice before mocking Callum Parkinson and Harry Swindells' eighth-wicket heroics though. Flip the question: what harm does that partnership do to the Test team? None.  

Every fixture in the competition contains rich subplots. Lord's alone last week had a snarling James Pattinson desperate to dislodge fellow Victorian Peter Handscomb.

Then Luke Fletcher - who might easily have fallen by the wayside in a franchised system - became the first man to make fifty batting at eleven and opening in the same match.

Later, Sam Robson scored a match-saving century in the face of Stuart Broad, Fletcher and Pattinson all pushing for victory. Robson was doing some pushing of his own: for an England recall.

How exhilarating, and there were seven other games.  

^{Is Brooke Guest going to play Test cricket? Highly unlikely (said with respect) but his switch from Lancashire to Derbyshire is now bearing fruit [Alex Davidson/Getty Images]}

So yes, if protecting county cricket means protecting all of that, I'm in. All in.

One other thing: I've never stared down Dale Steyn at full throttle. Few have, even fewer actually could. But without the TLC of fans, the game would be nothing. Remember those early pandemic Tests? Ghostly.

So, knock the scheduling, the lack of midsummer action and concertinaing fixtures. Change the structure if you like. Three divisions will do, provided there is the jeopardy of promotions and relegation. Bring in The Hundred, which, as unnecessary as it was, must go down as a success. And for heaven's sake, someone buy some proper balls.

But Rob Key and Brendon McCullum's challenge is to make England the best side they can be without torching the wood. Just because your 'thing' is broken, doesn't mean you can rip up other people's.

And remember, every opinion is valid. You may not agree with it but the validity - except in extreme circumstances - is not impacted. So engage, debate, even get involved directly to effect change (particularly if you have that platform).

But don't just wildly swing at the county game and those who love it. That's just not cricket.