Mark Butcher questioned the ECB's stance on contracts in the wake of Kevin Pietersen's retirement.
Butcher debates the short-format issue - and plays us a song...
Mark Butcher questioned the ECB's attitude towards limited-overs contracts in the wake of Kevin Pietersen's retirement.
The England batsman will now focus exclusively on Test match cricket after ending his commitment to the shorter formats of the game in a bid to prolong his playing career.
Pietersen had hoped to represent England in this year's ICC World Twenty20, but was denied because of an ECB rule that states players must be available for both 50-over and 20-over cricket if they want to be considered.
And while Sky Sports pundit Butcher backed the player's right to retire, he said he didn't agree with the governing body's stance.
"I think players absolutely have the right to retire from cricket whenever they like," he told Cricket AM.
"The real issue with this is the fact that not playing 50-over cricket means that he now can't play in the Twenty20 - and I know Kevin would have preferred to have been able to play t20.
"The conditions of that contract, drawn up by the ECB in order to perhaps protect 50-over cricket, means that he can't do that.
"I have a slight issue with that. I'm not sure that the contract is a good one. I'd rather know that the players playing in 50-over and 20-over cricket were doing so because they wanted to play it, not because they had to.
"But somebody else will come along - guys like Nick Compton who is scoring loads of runs and other people in county cricket - and will take his place in 50-over cricket.
"Any player has the right to retire and stop taking the money from that particular game at any time he particularly chooses.
"I think the reason it's caused so much of a furore is simply because it's Kevin Pietersen. I'm sure we'll see other players making another difficult, but necessary choice as the games go along."
Music
Former England and Surrey player Butcher retired from all forms of cricket in 2009, but has been keeping himself busy since then.
He has been working as an anlayst for Sky Sports and the keen singer and guitarist has even embarked on a sideline as a musician,
"I'm a professional time-waster, that's what I do," he added.
"I had 20 years as a professional cricket player and that doesn't count as work. Now what I do, whether that be working for Sky Sports or doing punditry or playing music, that doesn't count as work either.
"It's all good fun. Basically, my life is all about work avoidance!"
To see Mark performing one of his songs, hit the video at the top of the page.