Northamptonshire head coach Darren Lehmann has welcomed signs that England selectors will pay greater attention to county cricket, following his public criticism of the selection process during the Ashes. The former Australia coach, who is about to begin his second season at Wantage Road, told the Daily Mail that recent conversations with ECB managing director Rob Key suggest a 'better connection' between the counties and the national set-up.
Lehmann's frustration boiled over on Test Match Special last December when he complained that he had never spoken to or seen an England selector during his time in county cricket. His outburst was prompted by the omission of Northamptonshire batsman Saif Zaib, who scored 1,425 first-class runs in 2025 – more than any other player in the country – yet was overlooked for England Lions tours.
Zaib, who made his first-team debut for Northamptonshire at age 15, admitted that leaving the club could be a difficult decision but pointed to Ben Duckett's successful move to Nottinghamshire as an example of how a change of county can revive an international career. 'If I can score runs this summer, hopefully that will get me noticed,' Zaib said.
Lehmann revealed that selectors had told him Zaib was not taken to Australia because they felt the conditions did not suit his game, but he disagreed with the decision to omit him from the Lions' tour of the UAE, given Zaib's strength against spin. The coach added that England's preparation for the Ashes was 'non-existent' and that failing to play first-class matches before the series was a key factor in their defeat.
