Rory Burns: Surrey Captain says that English cricket must “protect” the county championship

Surrey Rory Burns captain says that English cricket must “protect” the county championship while the new home season is destined to start.

The first round of fixtures begins on Friday with the Surrey charges in front of the ASSEX in Chelmsford in their opening match.

Burns said he was not “really” worried that the red ball competition could not appeal to the younger audience than the shorter formats on condition that they felt forced to “still collect a club or a ball and play cricket”.

However, he believes that the interested parties of sport, including England and the Wales Cricket Board (ECB), must safeguard the future of the championship, which was played for the first time as a competition officially organized in 1890.

“I think it’s brilliant we have T20 and one hundred,” Burns said.

“We must appreciate in the ecosystem of the game which is our cash cow, but we must also protect what is the best format.

“See the tests on the fourth day and fifth day and are going to the wire, people are fully involved and looking at, so it is how we use it as a gateway to get eye bulbs on our game and how we grow up.”

Burns believes that the slopes and wickets in the County Championship are still very relevant for the selection of tests in England, even if it is currently in vogue to choose the potential rather than the weight of statistics in domestic cricket.

Jacob Bethell of Warwickshire and Shoaib Bashibir of the Somerset – the latter currently on loan to Glamorgan – were both chosen for England for their ability to play the international cricket rather than their first class records.

“It depends on the boys in those decision -making positions, as they want to choose the sides. I think the cycles in which the selection go, generally turn once people change in the decision -making position,” said Burns, who played 32 tests for England.

“They have changed the way they are choosing it for now and it will probably go to another cycle. It is like fashion, things are turned.

“For me, I will still try to pump 1,000 runs every year because there may be a weak hope that the phone can ring.”