Ashes 2021-22: Calls for English players to be allowed to feature in Sheffield Shield

It’s time we gave bumbling England a first-class education, for the sake of Test cricket’s most sacred series, even if it means exposing them to pacier, bouncier pitches at the expense of Aussie talent.

NEWPORT, WALES – MAY 16: Marnus Labuschagne of Glamorgan bats during Day Three of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two match between Glamorgan and Gloucestershire at Spytty Park on May 16, 2019 in Newport, Wales. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)

Australia have been urged to throw open the Sheffield Shield competition to English imports as a way of safeguarding the future of the Ashes.

Former England international and Fox Cricket commentator Isa Guha believes that Cricket Australia and the ECB should come to a mutually beneficial arrangement which would improve the preparation of players in local conditions before Ashes series are played.

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Marnus Labuschagne immersed himself in county cricket in England before the 2019 Ashes, flicking a switch which has propelled the Australian No. 3 to greatness.

England’s series defeat inside 12 days has raised fears over the future of the Ashes as the game’s competitive showpiece and Guha – who herself benefited by coming out to Australia to play grade cricket before an Ashes campaign – has called on the boards to open up a player sharing system that can save the great rivalry from slipping standards.

Marnus Labuschagne batting for English county Glamorgan.

“I think Glenn McGrath made the point that Australia don’t want it to be so easy to beat England. Similarly, fans and broadcasters want a contest. So surely it’s in the interest of Cricket Australia to say, ‘yep, some of your players who are going to be part of the Ashes can come here and play in our Sheffield Shield for a few games,’” Fox Cricket leading expert Guha told News Corp.

“Reading Marnus Labuschagne’s comments, he said he wanted to be in the best mindset possible ahead of the Ashes — so he got a stack of first-class matches in prior to this series in readiness.

“For England, Zak Crawley hadn’t played a competitive game of cricket since September. Both Zak and Johnny Bairstow were called into the Boxing Day Test but didn’t play in the England Lions game (against Australia A) which I found strange.

“And why did the Lions go home halfway through? Again, that doesn’t quite make sense. The fact the spinners didn’t bowl in the Lions game also tells you where England are at with spin as well.”

Ian Botham playing Sheffield Shield for Queensland.

Botham eating baked beans during his Queensland stint.

Guha said another major problem affecting England’s competitiveness in Test cricket is the lack of genuinely quick bowlers coming through in county cricket.

The former England women’s quick said if cricketing bodies CA, ECB, BCCI and the PCB opened the gates for international players to play in their first-class competitions – it could keep the competitiveness of Test cricket high.

Australian states and the Australian players’ association may push back against the idea of English players taking the spots of Aussies, but the long-term benefits of raising the standard of the Shield competition by blooding a handful of internationals would surely outweigh the negatives.

“There’s a few good cricketers doing well in the BBL from England and I think they could have a huge impact on Sheffield Shield cricket as well,” she said.

“As a player I’d be wanting to lap that up. Forget about the money, it’s a chance to upskill and make them a better player. Sadly it has become an economic situation with young players steered towards the bright lights of T20 cricket but don’t the best players in world cricket always say that honing skills in the longer format is good for the white ball format too?

Travis Head celebrates a Sheffield Shield ton.

Jack Leach bowls for Somerset in the County Championship.

“I was very fortunate to play a bit of grade cricket ahead of an Ashes campaign and a World Cup and that had a huge benefit for the four of us who came out in understanding the pitches, being used to conditions and just being in the environment. Not least, the opportunity to be taken out of your comfort zone. When you’re playing with the Lions or an academy national team you can be protected – whereas if you’re the overseas in a team, you’ve got nowhere to hide.”

England’s greatest all-rounder Ian Botham and Graham Hick had one-season stints with Queensland in the late 1980s which were mutually beneficial, while Imran Khan’s time at NSW helped Mike Whitney learn how to bowl with the old ball.

Imran Khan featured for New South Wales.

Joel Garner had two stunningly successful seasons for South Australia, as did Barry Richards, while Michael Holding turned out for Tasmania – and this was through an era when the Shield competition was operating at a far greater standard to now.

Guha said England needs to completely re-evaluate the identification and fostering of fast bowlers in the UK as well after watching Australia‘s nursery of 140km/h plus Test standard wicket-takers.

“I’d look at England cricket at the moment and there’s probably six players that can bowl 140km/h. Three are injured and two are solely focused on the limited overs format. That’s why there is such a big jump from county to international – players can score big runs in the championship but they’re not facing accurate 140kph bowling on a regular basis. That also translates to the net situation on tour, having only Mark Wood with the training group and he’s probably wrapped up in cotton wool anyway’ she said.

“Over here in Australia, I’ve seen 10 140km/h plus bowlers in just the last two weeks across the Test and BBL.

“There’s an argument that young cricketers are grown on pitches that suit fast bowling but in England is there a need to almost scout fast bowlers from an early age and introduce them into the system as well as support them. The way Australia backed Pat Cummins even after injury at 18 years old, they knew he was a bright prospect and a future talent so they invested in him. And that investment is now paying off.”