It's a shame because the 'A' team concept has been very successful in rugby and surely in orgopoliticofinancial terms rugby and cricket are similar in that internatiuonals are everything and nobody really gives a wet slap about the rest of it.

The key, ultimately, is to make sure that the money that the England test and ODI side makes goes to supporting the development of future England players and not to paying fat salaries to marginal overseas players. Again the parallels with rugby are hugely relevant both in terms of what needs to be done and the Horlicks the English authorities are making of it.