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Peter Moores could be forgiven for raising an eyebrow at England’s backing for Brendon McCullum after four years as head coach and that bleak Australian winter. Moores was afforded barely three across his two spells in the job, neither of which included an Ashes series.

But as his Nottinghamshire side begin the defence of their County Championship title away at Somerset this Friday, Moores is keen to look forwards. During his Ashes mea culpa, the England team director, Rob Key, said he wanted better communication with the counties on selection – music to the ears of the leading domestic coach.

“If I was a county player now, I’d be more excited about starting this season than the one before,” says Moores, whose captain, Haseeb Hameed, should be among those looking to state their case this summer.

“It feels more likely there’s a route into the England team now. I liked the thought when I played that, even though you might be a million miles off, you’ve still got the dream that if you go well, you’re a chance.

“It doesn’t guarantee anything because there should be loyalty to some of the players there already. But I hope England will start to genuinely engage more with the county game because since the start of international cricket, that’s where the players have come from.”

While Moores is optimistic, Paul Farbrace, his equivalent at Sussex, sounds less so. Speaking on TalkSport last week, Farbrace said “you just know McCullum isn’t interested in county cricket” and went on to say his contact with the clubs is minimal. And so in turn, he went on to lament, the counties are not fussed about how England fare.

In an attempt to fix this disconnect, Key has established a “County Insight Group” that will hold quarterly meetings with four county representatives (two from each division). He and McCullum are also due to address the county directors of cricket this week, the first such meeting for two years.

One coach told the Guardian these latest moves are welcome, clearly, but added that county cricket “almost feels more professional” than the England setup these days. Key’s public explanation for any perceived indifference was a reluctance to “meddle” in county business – something that many took to be contempt for the cricket they play.

The underlying aspect is the difference between domestic and international cricket. As Farbrace acknowledged, the former is a front-foot game due to the slower pitches and medium-fast seamers, the latter challenges techniques above the waist. England, therefore, have felt the need to look beyond domestic numbers.

Supporting the theory is a player like Jacob Bethell, who is yet to score a century for Warwickshire but in the space of six months has now made one in each of the three international formats. As McCullum put it last year, an England squad picked to win the County Championship would look very different to the one chosen for the Ashes.

Even if selection must continue to be nuanced, dissolving the sense of “them and us” that has built up will be one of the themes of the English summer. There may only be a couple of vacancies come the first Test against New Zealand in June but, as Moores says, players should start the season believing performances will be noticed.

Unless Zak Crawley embarks on a hitherto-unseen early season rampage at Kent, his spot at opener certainly feels ripe to be reassigned. If not then Key’s recent admission that England have been far too loyal in selection will look empty. Matt Henry – six cheap dismissals from six when they last met in New Zealand – will also be licking his lips.

And so, much like a recent Australian tradition, there may well be a “bat off” for opener. Hameed is the fully blossomed option, racking up runs with a new level of intent, while Glamorgan’s Asa Tribe and Durham’s Ben McKinney are two promising youngsters already in the Lions. Ben Duckett had one poor series in Australia but, unless his scores with Notts are binary, he feels likely to partner one of them.

Thereafter it will be a case of assessing Jamie Smith’s recovery from a torrid winter, with Somerset’s James Rew in the wicketkeeping wings. Jordan Cox is another here but misses Essex duty for the Indian Premier League. Bethell, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse are similarly there.

Bowlers like Ollie Robinson and Sam Cook can also push to fill the new ball berth left empty since Chris Woakes took a tumble. Spin is still the biggest quandary and where spring conditions muddy the thinking most. Shoaib Bashir’s fresh start at Derbyshire will be followed closely.

Although as much as selection dilemmas feature in the opening rounds, the County Championship also stands alone as a competition of great interest. And having finished eighth in 2024, Nottinghamshire’s title win last summer should demonstrate that upward mobility is possible.

Surrey remain stocked to the gills with talent and will want to show last year’s second place was a blip. Warwickshire, their first opponents, could also mount a decent challenge, boasting nine seamers with a claim to be first-choice picks and Woakes back among them.

But bar Sussex, hit with a 12-point penalty for financial shortcomings, the remaining 17 teams across the two divisions start out on zero. As the upbeat Moores puts it, this is the time of year to dream.