Gareth Batty, Surrey's head coach, has stated that the pathway from domestic cricket to the England Test team has been "misted over". He defended the County Championship as "the best breeding ground in the world" and suggested that the direct link between county performance and international selection has been blurred in recent years. England's management has been explicit about prioritising players' attributes over their domestic performances. Batty's comments came during Surrey's pre-season media day at The Oval. England currently does not have a men's selector after Luke Wright announced he would step down from his role after his Ashes, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.