Mickey Arthur believes that introducing a player transfer system for county cricket would allow non-Test-hosting counties to protect their investment in player development better.
At present, it’s exceedingly rare for players to leave a county until their contract has expired.
But with the likes of Gloucestershire – who now sit at the foot of Division Two – losing six players at the end of last season, the Derbyshire head coach says he would support a move to introduce a more clearly defined transfer system in the domestic game.
“I hope it happens, I really do, because it would stop the smaller counties being decimated and, instead, getting some money back on everything they’ve invested in a player,” he says.
Derbyshire coach Mickey Arthur says a transfer market would help support smaller clubs (Photo: Getty)
“You would think that if you did introduce a proper system, then you wouldn’t get the kind of situation we saw at Gloucestershire.
“At the moment, there is no transfer window as such. Players are free to speak to other counties after 1 June – they then either get re-contracted, go on the open market or don’t get a new contract anywhere.
“When it comes to your best players, you know there will always be a bit of a wrangle for them.”
This is a time of enormous change in the domestic game: the advent of the Hundred, and the influx of foreign cash that has followed, means there is now more money floating around the national summer game than ever before.
Counties such as Hampshire being wholly under the control of GMR Group – the owners of the Delhi Capitals Indian Premier League franchise – would previously have been unthinkable.
How England players have moved – for free
Ben Duckett began his career at Northamptonshire before moving to Nottinghamshire in August 2018
Josh Tongue started at Worcestershire before doing the same
Emilio Gay, like his opening partner, started at Northants before moving to Durham to further his international career
Sonny Baker, who made his Test bow at the Oval earlier this month, now plays his cricket at Hampshire after making the switch from Somerset
The introduction of a more proactive transfer market, albeit one on a far more modest scale than its football equivalent, would appear to be an inevitable next step.
It would also enable counties to place a premium on their best players and recoup money that, for the time being at least, marches out of the door every time a player leaves. It may also ensure that players remain at counties that do not host Hundred franchises or England Test matches for longer.
Sussex exodus continues
Elsewhere, there could be no shortage of departures at Sussex at the end of this season as the county looks to cut their wage bill substantially.
The i Paper understands that Tom Clark, who has been a consistent presence at Hove this season, has caught the eye of Surrey.
Fynn Hudson-Prentice is at the centre of a two-way battle for his signature (Photo: Getty)
Fynn Hudson-Prentice, meanwhile, came through the youth ranks at Sussex before spending three seasons at Derbyshire between 2019 and 2021.
The all-rounder is another player who is out of contract at the end of the season. And The i Paper understands he is currently attracting interest from both neighbours, Hampshire and his former county, Derbyshire.
It’s also understood that Durham’s Will Rhodes, a former England under-19 captain, could be on the move when his current deal expires.
South Africa changes could swing County Championship title race
Discussions in South Africa this week could have an impact on the availability of overseas players from the country in the final chunk of County Championship matches.
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At the moment, South Africa’s domestic season – which is being extended from seven matches to 10 – is due to start in the second week of September, resulting in a substantial overlap with the final rounds of the County Championship.
One senior South African player tells The i Paper: “We have been asking to play more first-class cricket for a long time – so it’s hard to then turn around and say: ‘Well, you’ve given us what we asked for but we don’t want to play it at the times you’re suggesting’.”