Derbyshire all-rounder Anuj Dal has backed the Royal London Cup to help players achieve international recognition.
Although a number of players are missing the competition due to playing in The Hundred, Dal believes it can still provide a stage for players to press their claims.
Derbyshire fast bowler George Scrimshaw was recently called up by England Lions on the back of strong performances in the Vitality Blast and Dal sees the One-Day Cup as another opportunity to catch the eye.
“There’s a lot of chat about the 50 over competition losing its status and its importance but for the guys who don’t get picked in the Hundred, it’s a chance to showcase your skills and another opportunity to go out and play a good standard of cricket,” Dal said.
“With the Hundred there it loses the impetus it might have had in the past but it’s still a chance to put performances together and hopefully get England call-ups.
“We’ve seen that of late with George (Scrimshaw) called into the England Lions and this is another chance for guys to put their hands up and push themselves to be the next one off the rank so for me, 50 over cricket is that perfect opportunity.”
Although Derbyshire’s campaign began with an eight-wicket defeat to Glamorgan on Tuesday, the team has made big strides forward this season under head of cricket Mickey Arthur.
Dal is one player who has benefitted from Arthur’s coaching skills with consistent performances across the board in 2022.
The appointment of a coach with Arthur’s international pedigree was a coup for Derbyshire and Dal explained how he has raised standards in such a short space of time.
“Mickey has been absolutely outstanding. From day one in the post when I think he was still in his hotel in Sri Lanka, he was calling us and talking through the roles he was pencilling in for us.
“It allowed players to go into the winter and set objectives as to where we wanted to go. I knew I was going to bat at seven and have an important role with the ball so I could hit the ground running come April. It was massive for me and all the players.
“Mickey has been the one key change that we needed. He has the utmost passion for the game and for the club and that feeds through to the players.
“He’s such a presence and with an international head on his shoulders, it’s great for us to be able to tap into the knowledge he’s got.
“He’s so calm in how he delivers the messages and so clear in how he does it. Nothing gets lost in translation, there are no blurred lines.”
Like a lot of counties, Derbyshire have lost key players to the Hundred, but Dal insists the team can rise to the challenge, starting against Essex at Chelmsford on Friday.
“It’s something we are eagerly looking forward to and hopefully we can put some good performances together because, like any competition, you can get on a bit of a roll and things can change very quickly.”
One-day cricket is back in the height of summer!
Derbyshire compete in enthralling 50-over cricket this August, including the visit of Yorkshire to Queen’s Park. Find out more and book tickets for all home matches now.
