Northamptonshire head coach Darren Lehmann says England players aren’t playing enough county cricket, and selectors are missing talented domestic players. Lehmann, in his second year at Wantage Road, hopes the ECB will strengthen ties with first-class counties after England’s heavy Ashes loss this winter.
Lehmann spoke with England managing director Rob Key and Test captain Ben Stokes, noting he hadn’t seen an English selector during his first year in charge. He pointed out that Saif Zaib, Northamptonshire’s 27-year-old left-hander and the country’s top run-scorer last season, was overlooked for the England Lions’ winter tour despite scoring 1,425 runs at an average of nearly 65, including six centuries.
Lehmann told BBC Look East: “England players don’t play enough county cricket. They should play more, but that’s not my call. The ECB seems keen to get closer to the counties and make sure their players are noticed. There’s a lot of good county talent that could have been on tours if they were properly seen.”
During the Ashes, most of the England XI had very few County Championship games in 2025. Only Ollie Pope played six matches for Surrey, while Joe Root, Harry Brook, and others barely played or missed matches due to injury.
Rob Key said the ECB plans to “deepen the connection” with county cricket, including forming a new County Insight Group to monitor players, gather feedback, and ensure top performers are noticed.
