Thursday 21 September 2017 15:04, UK
Sir Ian Botham has called for greater transparency in the movement of county players following Paul Coughlin's switch from Durham to Nottinghamshire.
Durham chairman and Sky Sports Cricket commentator Botham says he has no issues with England selectors serving at counties, as is the case with Notts' director of cricket Mick Newell.
However, he says players could be lured by the prospects of playing for such sides in order to boost their international ambitions.
Coughlin is set to be followed to Nottinghamshire by England opener Keaton Jennings.
"I wasn't saying that selectors shouldn't be part of a set-up," Botham told Sky Sports, reflecting on the comments he made following Coughlin's transfer earlier in the week. "I'm not questioning [Newell's] integrity.
"I was saying that if a player has an agent that wants to move you he says: 'if you go to Notts, Mick Newell is there and he is an England selector'. People need to be totally transparent with these things.
"I have no problem with Paul Coughlin going but we have got to replace him, players don't grow on trees. We have taken a few years to bring him through the system and now we have a massive hole.
"Why are we not compensated in like a transfer window, where someone says 'we want Paul Coughlin off you, we'll pay you £200,000 so you can bring someone in'. We get nothing and we are always going back to square one.
"Durham have lost international players, Coughlin could be an international cricketer, Jennings, Mark Stoneman. Scott Borthwick, could figure in the future.
"We are paying a lot of money for Kolpak players but the team that wants to bring England players and local boys through the ranks is looking over their shoulders."
