Are Kolpak players hurting English cricket?

[Jamee999]

Take Tim Southee from NZ as an example. A 19 year-old with a lot of promise and even more so Sharma from India. If they were English, would they have even got a look in, in a English county team? Somehow I doubt it.

Erm, yeah, they would. Broad made his FC debut at 19, so did Cook.

 

[Goughy]

Erm, yeah, they would. Broad made his FC debut at 19, so did Cook.

Yeah and what about Harris tearing it up for Glamorgan last season at 17 yrs old

 

[FBU]

Do you believe everything you read in newspapers? I'm pretty certain he has a British passport, as he's lived here most of his life.

He did go to school in South Africa. He is down in Playfair as Kolpak and Not Qualified for England, at the moment.

 

[Anna]

Hmmm, I'm confused!

 

[Anna]

He's a Kolpak this year and qualifies as English next year.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Cricinfo reckons the writing might be on the wall for Kolpaks:

The ECB is close to securing a concession from the European Union which could enable it to place restrictions on the number of Kolpak players in the English game...An announcement from the commission is expected next month but it is more than likely that there will be appeals lodged if the rules are amended in the ECB's favour...The ECB is unable under existing EU legislation to ban or impose limits on Kolpak players, although the review appears to have come about as the law was originally intended to apply to trade rather than labour.

Likely to be the inevitable appeal, it seems, but it would be absolutely great news for English cricket if implemented.

 

[Richard]

Fan

God-damn

tastic.




:
:

Best news the game in this country has had for many, many a year.

 

[Richard]

The question must be asked, though, of whether this applies only to Kolpak players or both Kolpak and EU-passport.

Another thing to consider is that this is probably better news for the game in South Africa than the UK.

 

[sanga1337]

Its good and bad. Means that the english players get to play against some quality players but it also means less opportunities for them. At least it shouldn't ever be nearly as bad as soccer. At one point I remember watching Arsenal play and they had no english players playing

 

[TT Boy]

Yeah and what about Harris tearing it up for Glamorgan last season at 17 yrs old

And the same goes for the likes of Steven Finn (first class debut at 16), Billy Godleman (first class debut at 17) and Tom Westley (first class debut at 18). In the case of Finn and Godleman they are already bonafide first team regulars for their county, despite being so young.

 

[GIMH]

The question must be asked, though, of whether this applies only to Kolpak players or both Kolpak and EU-passport.

Another thing to consider is that this is probably better news for the game in South Africa than the UK.

I may have misunderstood you here, so forgive me if I have, but they can not restrict players with EU passports

 

[superkingdave]

And the same goes for the likes of Steven Finn (first class debut at 16), Billy Godleman (first class debut at 17) and Tom Westley (first class debut at 18). In the case of Finn and Godleman they are already bonafide first team regulars for their county, despite being so young.

yeah, i think if you look at U19 WC squads, ours are usually up there with India and Pakistan for players already having played FC cricket.

 

[Jonty Lathwal]

Kolpak players are definitely hurting the English cricket & players..

as u can see there 6-7 foreign players in one county squad..........

that's why English cricket is going down...
they don't have any bench strength....

 

[roseboy64]

Its good and bad. Means that the english players get to play against some quality players but it also means less opportunities for them. At least it shouldn't ever be nearly as bad as soccer. At one point I remember watching Arsenal play and they had no english players playing

Regular thing that for Arsenal.

 

[Richard]

Kolpak players are definitely hurting the English cricket & players..

as u can see there 6-7 foreign players in one county squad..........

that's why English cricket is going down...
they don't have any bench strength....

Well... not really.

If the Kolpak effect was going to be considerable, it'd take at least a decade for us to notice, never mind be able to begin to assess. Short-term, the effects are negligable.

 

[Richard]

I may have misunderstood you here, so forgive me if I have, but they can not restrict players with EU passports

No, I didn't think it very likely. But it'd have been a huge bonus if they could. Because with the large number of Kolpaks in the last 3 seasons (and this) everyone seems to have forgotten that the problem of overseas players who weren't restrict-able was around for a good few years before then.

It's really rather silly that a Portugese great-grandfather basically qualifies you as European and therefore English. If I were the ECB I'd be getting someone to do some lobbying on that front as well as the Kolpak one.

 

[GIMH]

Can't see it ever changing. FIFA are currently looking at introducing a 6 and 5 rule worldwide in football, the EU have been very vocal that it will never be implementable in any of their members. Can't stop such a thing in footy then let it through in Cricket, I would say there is approximately zero chance of such a thing happening as long as we are in the EU, which I expect to be...well forever really.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Don't fight the market baby. Embrace it.

 

[Richard]

Possibly the most FIAB-worthy post ever from this member.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Possibly the most FIAB-worthy post ever from this member.

Blame Exeweb. One poster there began to intersperse all his musings with "positive vibes baby, yeah" etc after the first leg of the playoffs and it's spreading.

Basically, you will never get anywhere by trying to block the market or build barriers to trade; they do no one no good anywhere ever. If the ECB want more English-qualified players, change the grant system. Make it even more dependent on fielding eligible heads. As I understand it, Minor County cricket is heavily, heavily skewed towards English and U24 players because it is something like £1,000 per player per match difference between an English U24 and an overseas O24.

That is huge for someone like Oxfordshire. It needs to be made larger in FC cricket to match the counties' incentives with the ECB's aims