Wisden calls for domestic overhaul

Some first-class counties have been warned they may have to be left to go out of business if the English game is to prosper.

The 2002 Wisden Cricketers' Almanac was published yesterday, and contains a stark warning about the future of the domestic game. In the influential 'Notes' column, the editor, Graeme Wright, says that, despite recent changes, including the two-division structure, the county game is failing to produce the necessary talent for England to be competitive on the Test arena.

Wright has called for a radical upheaval of the domestic system, hinting that city teams may be the answer in a set-up driven by television. He argues it is easier to market a city than a county, "however romantically their names resonate".

"Cities are marketable commodities in a way that counties, states and provinces are not," the editor said. "This may seem fanciful now, but looking ahead often does."

Wright adds: "Cricket may not be living on borrowed time, but some of the counties clearly are. I suspect there is already a tendency to let the weakest go to the wall. Natural wastage, businessmen call it.

"The time is approaching to reform the first-class county structure, as opposed to merely meddling with the cricket and the fixture list. The system runs counter to a positive future for English cricket at the highest level. The system survives on a confederacy of mediocrity.

"Take out the centrally contracted bowlers and the standard of county bowling is deplorably low. The Australian Cricket Board put 25 players under contract. England would struggle to name 25 players ready for international cricket."

Meanwhile, Wisden's five international cricketers of the year contains no English player for only the second time. In a reflection of Australian dominance, Adam Gilchrist, Damien Martyn and Jason Gillespie have all been chosen, along with India's Vangipurappu Laxman and Zimbabwe's Andy Flower.