Mickey Arthur feels England players should stop playing the IPL and here's the reason

Former South Africa coach Mickey Arthur has advised England players to not participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to improve their Test side. Meanwhile, the side faced a humiliating 4-0 Ashes series loss against Australia last month. The series has resulted in the departure of head coach Chris Silverwood, batting coach Graham Thorpe and managing director Ashley Giles.

Mickey Arthur joined English county, Derbyshire, as head of cricket after stepping down as Sri Lanka coach late last year. He said county cricket is not to be blamed for England's poor performance in tests in recent years.

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England haven't scored enough runs in the Ashes: Mickey Arthur

"England haven't scored enough runs. It's as simple as that. If you want to lay the blame, you can lay it right there. County cricket isn't to blame. For so long county cricket has been a really good producer of international players. I don't think there's a problem with the system … If you want the strength early season, unfortunately, you are going to have to stop the players from going to the IPL."

Former South Africa Coach Mickey Arthur said

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"They are playing there in the early part of the season just before the first tests. You need your best players playing county cricket preparing for that." Mickey Arthur added.

England had reinvented itself as a one-day cricket powerhouse since its early exit from the 2015 World Cup. However, they won the next edition of the format's biggest title on home soil. But their record in the longest format of the game has been less impressive in recent years. Meanwhile, the final Ashes Test loss marked their 15th consecutive test in Australia without a win.

Overall, there were contracts for 11 England-qualified players across the two-day event. It brings the tally at the 2022 IPL to 13, with Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali already having been retained by their franchises.