County Cricket 2009: an inexorable decline?

Quote of the Year
An unnamed county player whose face was filled with fear when I mentioned that some dinosaurs want a return to one, all-play-all division: “Our batsmen will get blown away!” he squealed. Indeed. The gap between divisions is widening. The bowling in the second tier is generally awful, not very quick either. Batsmen receive as many bouncers as you see mentions of baked beans in a cook book.

There is no logic, however, in deciding to play no 50-over county matches next season, yet staging no fewer than 13 such games involving England, plus two Twenty20s and a couple more 50-over games between Pakistan and Australia.

In one way it is laudable that England should come to Pakistan’s rescue at a time of political turmoil in that country that threatens the future of cricket there. But did anyone even consider reducing England’s workload if such a gesture was to have any genuine altruism about it?