Australia's coach John Buchanan has hit out at what he sees as the "mediocrity" of county cricket in England.

Although Buchanan welcomed such developments as the advent of an academy and two divisions in domestic cricket, he suggested that there are too many counties and too many first-class fixtures.

"Undermining these initiatives, though, is an archaic playing system, a true servant of mediocrity," Buchanan told The Sunday Times.

"The ECB must take the path that promotes less cricket, rather than allowing the schedule to be squeezed by more cricket in an attempt to meet the cost/revenue equation."

Buchanan, the former Middlesex coach, reasoned that by reducing the number of games there would be more time for constructive practise and recovery, and that would highlight the gulf in class that exists between the Test and journeymen players.

"Skills will increase, weeding out the three or four 'impostors' who exist in every first-class county. I don't want to deny these players an opportunity to play, but it should be at a level comparable to their standard and not be a continual drain on county coffers."

He also criticized England's much-vaunted opening bowlers, Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick, for their rivalry with each other.

"There was a rivalry between Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick which seemed to be on show in each Test. It was Gough v Caddick, rather than Gough and Caddick v Australia," Buchanan said.

© CricInfo