Central contracts - undoubtedly beneficial

Inevitably, the issue of central contracts received a lot of attention during the county season, particularly from the counties themselves. They were concerned that their implementation had undermined the welfare of the county clubs.

I believe that the change in the system fundamentally enhanced England's capabilities on the international stage, leading to positive results against Zimbabwe and West Indies and the prospect of a closely-fought series in Pakistan. It demonstrated that England do have good players who can win matches, provided they are utilised properly by being sufficiently rested and prepared.

The most important result of the central contract system is that it has helped forge a team ethos that has enabled the side to group together and play more as a unit. Key players like Darren Gough and Andy Caddick have been able to maintain their fitness and bowl at full pace throughout the Test series - something that would have been unlikely under the old system. I am sure it will have also helped the younger players and less-established cricketers such as Craig White to feel more a part of the team.

It was a criticism of England before that young players such as Chris Read and Aftab Habib coming into the Test environment did not feel welcomed. The truth is that if a new player comes into a team and only meets the guys a couple of days before the Test begins, it is difficult for them to feel completely relaxed. With central contracts, they are of course together for that much longer and I think this is vital. It helps foster a good team spirit and this is critical for maximising performance.

From my own experience with Leicestershire, winning the championship in 1996 and 1998, this team ethos played a crucial role in our success. We didn't have the Gowers, Agnews and Willeys of the past but we had an uncanny ability to play as a team and not as a bunch of individuals.

Nasser Hussain and Duncan Fletcher have gone some way to creating the environment for players to flourish. The rejuvenation of Craig White has demonstrated their success. He was always hugely respected for his hostility in county cricket, but before the summer he had yet to demonstrate his ability at international level.

Despite the 2-1 defeat in the recent one-day series, I have great optimism for the future of English cricket and it promises to be an intriguing series in Pakistan. If England can continue to draw upon the reserve strength that has now formed, I believe they can counter the spin of the Pakistanis and maybe force a drawn series.

The implementation of central contracts has helped us turn a corner, and hopefully we can progress to such an extent that we will be challenging the Aussies next summer.