Zero. Three. Three. No, not the codename for the latest dramatic SAS operation, but the number of first-class games that the captains of Australia (Pat Cummins, New South Wales), India (Shubman Gill, Punjab) and South Africa (Temba Bavuma, Gauteng) have played in the last five years for their domestic team. By contrast, England’s captain, Ben Stokes, has made seven appearances for Durham in the same period – more than the other three combined – yet some argue that he should have turned out more frequently for them. Even more remarkably, since Cummins made his first-class debut exactly 15 years ago today, he has made only 14 red-ball appearances outside of the Test arena, where he has won 72 caps.

These figures illustrate how the global game has changed and continues to change. The three formats we have are usually viewed as first-class cricket, 50-over matches and T20, but it’s just as true to say they are also international, franchise and domestic cricket. It is almost impossible to commit to all three. With the combination of a heavy international load and the growth of franchise cricket (now a multi-national business, as the rebranding of some of the Hundred teams this summer shows), the bedrock of domestic cricket is peripheral to many of the game’s biggest stars.

Those who head to their county grounds the day after this Annual goes on sale may lament this change, but there is no chance that we will return to the ways of yesteryear; the money is concentrated elsewhere. However, we should not see that trend as meaning that the county game is any less important. While the grounds may not necessarily be packed to capacity, people still find many ways of following their team, via online channels and other services. The counties have worked hard to deliver this to help keep engaged those who have other commitments that make it difficult to go to as many games as they might want.

But support for the domestic game is strong. Writing this in Sussex, where the club is facing financial challenges, it is clear that what happens in Hove matters a great deal to a lot of people who are working hard to help improve the situation. People do that only when they are invested in something. So, what might be seen as a problem also highlights exactly why the 18 counties are an essential part of the fabric that makes up the modern cricketing world. If you want further evidence of why county cricket matters, head north to Manchester where England’s most successful Test bowler, James Anderson, has taken on the captaincy of Lancashire in a bid to return his side to the top flight in the season during which he will turn 44.

Our cover star, Ben Duckett, is perhaps a perfect example of someone who has been an integral part of all three formats of the game, and the photo illustrates how the traditional and modern can combine. Before he established himself as England’s opening batter in December 2022, he had developed his craft by playing more than a hundred County Championship games. Hard graft on the circuit can still earn you an international call-up, but there is also the opportunity for some – Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir and Jacob Bethell among them – to be selected with 20 games or fewer under their belts. That blend should be seen as a good thing.

Unfortunately, as for many England players, it wasn’t the greatest Ashes series in Australia for Duckett, but I am sure he will bounce back strongly this summer against New Zealand and Pakistan. There are many important contests to come in the interim, but if England are to be competitive Down Under and to win there again, I hope that the right lessons will be learned from the errors that were made in the Ashes, as it is long overdue for England to be competitive in Australia. In the meantime, let us enjoy what the season ahead has to offer.

Ian Marshall

Eastbourne, 3 March 2026