England hires county coaches to improve national team selection

In a bid to strengthen ties with the domestic game, England's cricket authorities have appointed four county head coaches to a new panel aimed at enhancing the national team's selection process.

Former international coaches join new county insight group

Mickey Arthur, a former head coach of South Africa and Pakistan, is one of four county coaches to join the panel. He will be joined by Richard Dawson, Alan Richardson and Anthony McGrath, all highly-regarded figures in English cricket.

The move is part of England's efforts to repair relations with the county game after a tumultuous Ashes series last winter, which saw a perceived lack of communication between the national team and its domestic counterparts.

According to reports, the new panel will meet with England's hierarchy three or four times a season to provide feedback on players identified by the national team's scouting network. The goal is to ensure that England's selectors have a deeper understanding of the characters and abilities of the county players, particularly in high-pressure situations.

Speaking at the Ashes review in March, England director of cricket Rob Key acknowledged that the national team had previously neglected the views of those in the county game, saying: