Don’t cross the county line... oh, but India’s fine

FIGURES from the BBC suggest interest in county cricket is not as minimal as you might think.

If the ECB and Andrew Strauss, the director of England Cricket, have their way, it soon might be.

With a Test match looming on, er, July 6, Strauss (below) has told Stuart Broad he cannot play in Nottinghamshire’s county championship match, which started on Friday. Friday, April 14.

England have plenty of one-dayers before then, but Broad is almost certain not to feature, unlike Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes.

And the Strauss rest plan for them?

A highly-paid, but highly-stressed stint in the Indian Premier League.

Remember when the ECB had the hump with Kevin Pietersen for wanting to play in the IPL?

Now they happily agree to centrally-contracted players earning big money playing in India, while those at home are not allowed to play for their counties.

Jonny Bairstow, another told to “rest”, was so bored he took himself off to the Masters last week.

Spectators up in Durham, the current opponents for Broad’s Nottinghamshire, would have loved to see one of England’s most highprofile players having a bowl.

Instead, Broad was planning a nets session.

In the crowded field of underwhelming sports administrations, the ECB and Strauss are right up there with this one.