The County Championship schedule is horrendous in a lot of ways: Mark Butcher

As we know, the English County Championship will commence from Thursday (April 7). As per the schedule, there will be seven rounds of matches in April and May combined, while a relatively lesser number of rounds are set to be played in June and July. 

However, the former English batter Mark Butcher has bashed the County Championship schedule by terming it 'horrendous in numerous ways'.

Speaking on the most recent 'Wisden cricket weekly podcast', Butcher opined that such a packed schedule would certainly increase the load on the players. 

"I mean, the schedule is horrendous, it's horrendous in a lot of ways really. What have we got, four rounds in April and another 3 in May? No team is able to play the same XI, you would imagine, each time, with only three-and-a-half days between matches", Butcher said. "And Stuart is absolutely right. If your plan is to be involved in the test matches, then the last thing you want to do is be playing seven consecutive championship matches in the run-up", the cricketer turned pundit added.  

Butcher, who represented England in 71 tests, has also said that the pitches will be slow and the least conducive for everyone in this period of the year as it's snowing in the country. 

He also predicted that the bowlers wouldn't get any movement in such freezing conditions, which would certainly reduce the championship quality. Therefore, he seemed doubtful of this kind of a schedule fulfilling the ultimate objective of producing competent test cricketers for England. 

"Pitches are going to be an issue, obviously. It's been snowing all week. They are not going to be conducive to lots of different types of cricket; run-making can actually be easier sometimes when it's freezing cold because the ball doesn't do anything, the bowlers find it difficult to find any sort of movement. 

"But the pitches are going to be slow and all the usual problems that you have when playing first-class cricket at this time of the year will be there", Butcher said. 

"Nobody likes it, least of all, the players. Groundsmen don't like it, and it really doesn't help if you're talking bigger picture, in terms of producing top-quality Test-match cricketers, whether it be pace bowlers, spinners or even batters", the 49-year old concluded.