Topley suggested the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) — the governing body for cricket across the two nations — was hampering grassroots cricket.
“It’s not a reflection of demand, value, or impact; it is the result of external constraints,” he added.
“There is a shortage of facilities and a shortage of quality coaches for this age group, and the ECB has changed its attitude towards pathway county cricket.
“That is a great shame and the many people I come into contact with at the coalface agree.”
He also said he believed the fallout from England’s recent Ashes loss could have “prolonged consequences” for the sport and amateur clubs.
“The fact we were brutally beaten up was a disaster,” he said.
“County cricket clubs will feel the disaster of The Ashes and it will hit them in their pockets.
“If they had come home as winners, the game of cricket would have been in a buoyant mood and we would have seen the benefits, but now we will see the negatives.”
