'England haven't scored runs, as simple as that' - Mickey Arthur says County Cricket should not be blamed for team's poor Test form

The last few Test series have not been great for the England team, as they have lost most of them. They first played India away from and lost the series, then they were beaten by New Zealand at home, and the home series against India is yet to see a result. (India lead's the five-match series 2-1).

The brutal defeat of 4-0 in the Ashes was a humiliation for the team. This resulted in a lot of changes in the personnel of the team. Head coach Chris Silverwood, batting coach Graham Thorpe, and managing director Ashley Giles are no longer part of the English setup.

Former cricketer Mickey Arthur has pointed out that the problem lies within the team and not the system. The players have limited preparation for a Test series as they are busy playing tournaments like the ITL.

Speaking to the Times, he said, "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.

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

England is scheduled to play New Zealand right after the ITL, which leaves them very little time for the preparations for the start of the home summer. England Test players may leave the ITL mid-way to get some preparations for the series.