Where Do We Go From Here?

Alex Hales' decision this week hasn't caused a crisis at Nottinghamshire but has only served to highlight huge squad deficiencies after a number of high profile departures over the past couple of years, with only two new players coming into the squad from outside. 

Now that Hales' absence from Championship cricket is permanent, the decision to look for an overseas batting replacement makes a lot of sense but does little to find a substitute for the attack leading wicket haul of James Pattinson last season. Paul Coughlin was a change bowler for Durham and will only serve to paper over the cracks when a structural rebuild is required. Kitt and Milnes will get their chance this season, as there looks to be little alternative but neither has shown that extra yard of pace, that is necessary at the higher level, when bowling at Lady Bay. Last season we had two standout bowlers in the Championship, Pattinson and Brett Hutton, both are no longer in our service. To win championship games we need a bank of bowlers who can take 20 wickets per match collectively, consistently and I'm not sure by September, when we still have a lot of the season to play,  we will have that resource.


So which route will Nottinghamshire take?

• The loan market: leasing players from other counties for one or two month periods to bolster a dwindling squad.

Used so effectively by Hampshire in 2016.

• The Kolpak route: waving a cheque book at fringe South African and West Indian squad players looking for short term financial security to make-up our numbers.

• Back the Seconds: hope that some second eleven players that haven't stood out previously, have grown (of course after a lot of hard work over the winter) into proper contenders. Throw them in off the deep end!

• Cross fingers and hope no one gets injured.

What odds can you get on another Andy Carter resurrection? 

Does any of it matter, if Harry Gurney's apparent attitude is anything to judge by then the players aren't really backing the competition anymore (which I'm sure isn't the impression he intended to give). We all need to get with the program and lurch ourselves out the 1980s it would appear. 

In the years post 2020, will there be a multi-day format game at all, will there still be counties? There certaining won't be specialists able to pick and choose what to play and what not to play because there won't be a choice! But where will the franchises get there players? Who will they know to bid for, to line the pockets of?

There won't be members either, just season ticket holders at best or those that have bought bulk tickets in advance at a generously discounted price. No invested personal emotion of attachment to a club, just an investment in hard cold cash. Kerching!

The system is broke now but the ECB only look to break it some more in the near future, where do we go from here?