Lancashire have an abundance of talent on their books, leading to frustration among some members that they have not always been able to call on their best players due to commitments elsewhere in the global game.

Saquib Mahmood picked up just two wickets in four County Championship innings this year while Jos Buttler, Phil Salt and Luke Wood did not play at all and Liam Livingstone’s streak without a red-ball appearance has now reached three years.

Keaton Jennings, Matty Hurst, Josh Bohannon, Luke Wells and George Balderson were the only ever-presents in the Championship side.

“Players can now earn more say playing three days in the winter than they can for an average county salary for 12 months work. Who wouldn’t want to do less work for more money?” Gidney said.

“We have got a number of successful senior players who play for England and in global franchise tournaments.

“I have called on the ECB to put more prize money into the County Championship. As far as England is concerned the Championship is not important. You don’t have to play in the Championship to play for England – I think that is very damaging.

“You have to break the bank for a domestic player who doesn’t want to go and play in franchise leagues.

“We have players on multi-format contracts who physically cannot get through four days. Others are England centrally-contracted players, which becomes a difficult conversation around rest, and others who should just be on a white ball contract not a multi format contract because they can earn more by doing that.

“Some players are choosing to go down a career that should be more white-ball focused and we need to be more open about that as a club.”

Gidney said Lancashire would make it clear to members which players are and are not available for matches in future and added: “We have to think differently about how we build a squad going forward.

“I love Test cricket and the County Championship but we have to protect the things we love. The game as a whole needs to put more in as a financial model to protect it. There will be less Test cricket in 10 years unless we do something now.

“We need to find ways of incentivising and encouraging players to play in the County Championship.”