Former Pakistan cricket team coach Mickey Arthur has blamed Indian Premier League (IPL) for the downfall in England's Test cricket performance. He believes it's wrong to point finger at England's county cricket.

Arthur said the England Cricket Board (ECB) will have to stop their players from participating in the IPL if they want to improve their performance in Test. "England haven't scored enough runs. It's as simple as that," he told The Times.

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England were recently humiliated by the Australian cricket team in the Ashes 2021-22, which the latter won by 4-0.

"If you want to lay the blame, you can lay it right there. County cricket isn't to blame," added Arthur, who joined Derbyshire as head of cricket after stepping down as Sri Lanka coach.

"For so long county cricket has been a really good producer of international players. I don't think there's a problem with the system ... If you want the strength early season, unfortunately, you are going to have to stop the players going to the IPL.

"They are playing there in the early part of the season just before the first tests. You need your best players playing county cricket preparing for that."

After England's Ashes defeat, the ECB have let go head coach Chris Silverwood, batting coach Graham Thorpe and managing director Ashley Giles. 

(With Reuters Inputs)