Lions ‘problem’ has no easy solution as counties lose stars

The Yorkshire duo, who are hoping to press their claims for a place in the side for the first Test against the Kiwis at Lord’s on May 16, are the county’s representatives for the four-day match at Leicester’s Grace Road that starts on Thursday.

Root has been appointed captain of the team in a move which, according to national selector Geoff Miller, will “assist his development as a cricketer and provide him with valuable experience of captaincy against quality opposition”.

Bairstow, who will take the wicketkeeping gloves, has been handed another chance to impress as he looks to retain his place amid Kevin Pietersen’s ongoing absence with a knee injury.

Although everyone at Yorkshire will wish Root and Bairstow well, the downside for the club is that they will miss the County Championship match against Somerset at Headingley that starts on Tuesday.

In total, six Championship games across the two divisions overlap the Lions’ contest, which will impact on seven of the 12 teams involved.

Ten of the 11 players chosen by England would have played in those fixtures, with only Nottinghamshire batsman James Taylor facing an otherwise blank week as his side are without a Championship match.

The most seriously affected club are champions Warwickshire, who will lose three players – opening batsman Varun Chopra and pace bowlers Chris Woakes and Chris Wright – for their fixture against Middlesex at Edgbaston.

Contrary to popular opinion, there is no hard and fast rule which states that only two players per county can be chosen for Lions games.

Such matches invariably clash with Championship fixtures and, by definition, devalue those fixtures as players are whisked off by the England second string.

However, there is technically nothing to stop the selectors choosing as many players from a particular club as they deem fit, although there is possibly an unwritten rule that this would not be de rigueur and that an appropriate balance needs to be struck.

Indeed, a case could have been made for the Lions choosing four Yorkshire players next week, with Tim Bresnan and Gary Ballance making up the quartet as the former continues his comeback following an elbow operation and with the latter having impressed on the Lions’ tour of Australia last winter.

In stark contrast to the selection of the Test XI, the composition of the Lions side is one of the most difficult tasks for the England think-tank.

With no set window for Lions’ games, the selectors are on a hiding to nothing as they seek to ensure those games have sufficient credibility by including enough of the best players while at the same time trying to minimise the disruption to Championship cricket.

All of which brings us to a key question – are the Lions a bona fide England second string or a breeding ground for up-and-coming talent?

In reality, it is probably a bit of both, with the Lions giving opportunities for those on the fringes of international selection as well as a fillip to those who may aspire to that level in the not-too-distant future.

Until space is cleared in the calendar, however, the Lions “problem” has no easy solution and is an unwanted headache for the county clubs and their followers.

England have reciprocal arrangements to consider, with the Lions touring the world during the winter, while the games are an important stepping stone for the players themselves, who are thus made to feel part of the England set-up.