Adil Rashid initiated the path for county cricketers to turn their back on first-class cricket for their counties and sign a strictly white-ball only contract. Nottinghamshire's Alex Hales has wasted no time in following Rashid down this route signing a one-day cricket only contract to the end of the 2019 season.
It seems that opinion is divided on this and maybe it's a generational thing to think that shunning the first-class game shows a disregard for what is the most challenging and testing format but ultimately one that surely gives most satisfaction when you achieve success. Perhaps it's easier to quit than continue the demands of the County Championship and force your way back into England's plans. This would require demonstrating less attractive skills such as consistency, discipline, patience in a less glamorous environment than the packed houses that T20 cricket and certain 50-over fixtures bring.
Both respective counties, in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, are willing (if not entirely happy) to offer these specialist contracts to their players as they don't want to lose what they both bring to their limited-overs side. With a national focus on the upcoming World Cup in 2019, it seems England have given their approval for players to sacrifice their inclusion in the first-class squads to work on their skills to help England claim the World Cup on home turf.
An improvement in one-day skills for Hales and Rashid (if their performances are enhanced by this choice) should open the gates for more lucrative opportunities. You certainly can't blame players for attempting to maximise their earning potential, it's just difficult to see how they can do so by not playing the game. They will have the chance to rest the body and I'm sure obtain mental relaxation that comes with a spell away from the game.
Realistically, they could ultimately end up getting paid more for doing less work ? So in theory it sounds like a logical step. Many county players and pundits have taken to social media to condone the decision the players have taken and fully understand why they are doing it but the overriding concern is for the first-class game itself. It would be unfair to say that limited-overs cricket is the easy option; the formats still require huge amounts of skill whatever your discipline is, but you can see how it may be more appealing. It's akin to being the weekend parent that allows you to do all the fun stuff with the kids rather than setting the daily parameters and principles which is fundamentally crucial to their development.
What irks me is that these are not players at the dying embers of their careers; Hales is 29 years old and Rashid turned 30 in the last week and both could conceivably still forge Test careers. Whether England have told Rashid, or Hales, that Test selection is unlikely and they are looking at alternative options, the heavy weight of runs or wickets for your club presses your claim for a spot more than anything else. Hales is a top or middle-order batsman and Rashid on his day a match-winning spinner, England are on the lookout for players to nail down such spots in the Test side!
It is also a touch late in the day to be informing their clubs they wish to play no part in the County Championship. One can only think that the club have been made aware of their intentions for some time but delayed the announcement or the finishing touches to the contracts have taken some time.
There remains a concern and a likelihood that there are more to follow, but for most County Championship supporters they will be hoping sense prevails. The one man that you would expect to opt for a contract containing similar conditions is Eoin Morgan, but this week he has stated his desire to start the County Championship season with Middlesex. Morgan's last first-class appearance came back in July 2015 where he bagged a pair against Somerset, so he has effectively, without signing a contract or making an announcement to confirm, temporarily retired from that form of cricket to an extent. Until this season of course, providing he gets selected.
Whichever side of the fence you sit on for this debate, one thing is clear and that is that the ECB must do their utmost to preserve and even improve the attraction of the County Championship. The competition has to remain relevant during these changing times, the product on offer should be sufficient to be able to market its captivation and importance but if the quality of the product starts to deteriorate further then things will become much more difficult.
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