Somerset all-rounder Peter Trego has hit out at the ECB, accusing the governing body of tarnishing Jack Leach’s career by using issues over the left-arm spinner’s bowling action as a cover up for not selecting him for England’s winter tours to Bangladesh and India.

Leach, 25, was the leading English wicket-taker in Division One last year, taking 65 in the County Championship, but was omitted in favour of Surrey duo Gareth Batty and Zafar Ansari.

When Ansari was injured part way through the tour, Hampshire’s Liam Dawson was called up in preference to Leach. It later emerged that England had not picked Leach because of concerns about a kink in his bowling action that had been picked up during testing at Loughborough.

“That was a