***Official*** English Domestic Season 2008

[GIMH]

I'm not dav or Bennett but I am pretty sure he is

 

[steds]

Aye. Cheaty's coming back.

 

[andruid]

Been over here for a while and has played for the Seconds a fair bit. I think he's got some sort of educational background as well (finance? rings a bell), so he's playing less as a Kenyan, more as an English resident who happens to have already played ODIs for Kenya.

So... he's not moved here to play cricket, he's moved here for other reasons and also happens to be a pretty good cricketer... if that makes sense.

Andruid would clear all that up for us though.

Rageb Aga's story is a bit of an interesting one. he was captain of the Kenya u19's at some World Cup and he got annointed (Micheal Clarke style) as a future national captain and promoted straight into the National team. Then in 2004 nearly all the senior players went on strike and he found himself captaining a rag tage army of kids against Scotland in the Intercontinental cup. When the strike ended he was still in the plans of the selectors playing as a bowling allrounder on tour to Zimbabwe aftre which he buggered of to The UK to get a degree, and soon after he graduated he got a British passport as often happens with the Kenyan Indian community with relations in the UK. I do not know for sure if the selectors are still keeping an eye on him cos Ravindu Shah also has a British passport and it never stopped him representing Kenya.

 

[Langeveldt]

Fantastic game watching South Africa C take on Yorkshire today.. Even the weather was South African.. Was half expecting to get mugged at gunpoint on the way home

 

[Richard]

Somerset are hardly South Africa C, both Willoughby and Thomas are two of the best bowlers in SA. Likewise de Bruyn with the bat. Isn't Kieswetter basically the next Pietersen too? Has he ever even played First-Class cricket in SA?

Somerset are hardly Leics\Northants. The latter who, as I mentioned earlier, can field seven front-line bowlers thanks to the fact they've five South African all-rounders (Klusener, Boje, Hall, van der Wath, Louw). They've dropped their South African wicketkeeper, Wessels Jnr., though.

 

[Goughy]

both Willoughby and Thomas are two of the best bowlers in SA. Likewise de Bruyn with the bat
.

Aye, all 3 would probably make the top 100 SA cricketers currently playing

 

[Manee]

This Kolpak issue is getting a tad silly, the ECB should be able to label them as pseudo overseas players and restrict their involvement in sides. It is not although the overseas limit is a restriction of trade - or am I missing something.

 

[Goughy]

This Kolpak issue is getting a tad silly, the ECB should be able to label them as pseudo overseas players and restrict their involvement in sides. It is not although the overseas limit is a restriction of trade - or am I missing something.

Recommend you have a quick look at the 'Kolpak' ruling.

 

[Richard]

Aye, all 3 would probably make the top 100 SA cricketers currently playing

Which bowlers would you put ahead of Willoughby and Thomas then? Outside the obvious of Steyn (Ntini and Nel are debatable at best).

 

[Manee]

Recommend you have a quick look at the 'Kolpak' ruling.

Not so much having not read it as having not fully understand it. How is it that Kolpak's are 'qualified' to play for English counties but not for England and why is it that overseas players do not have the same privledges to play for counties without restriction?

 

[Richard]

It only applies to countries which have trade agreements with the EU.

Basically, the "England national team" qualifications are set by I$C$C. However, playing for England and playing in the domestic game are different things - as players are actually employed by counties, they're not merely playing for but earning a living. The only way the ECB can restrict overseas players is by not allowing work-permits. But for those EU qualified (whether by family ancestry of trade agreement) there is no way such restrictions can be put in place.

 

[TT Boy]

Which bowlers would you put ahead of Willoughby and Thomas then? Outside the obvious of Steyn (Ntini and Nel are debatable at best).

Where's the debate? Ntini and Nel are both international class bowlers. Willoughby is a 75mph swing bowler who struggled to do anything in Bangladesh other than concede runs, he may have formed a nice niche for himself at Taunton but his nothing more than a new ball domestic bowler.

 

[Richard]

Willoughby's bowled a fair bit quicker than that merely on the occasions I've seen him. He had virtually no international opportunities, and neither Nel nor Ntini have ever truly convinced on the international stage.

 

[TT Boy]

It only applies to countries which have trade agreements with the EU.

Basically, the "England national team" qualifications are set by I$C$C. However, playing for England and playing in the domestic game are different things - as players are actually employed by counties, they're not merely playing for but earning a living. The only way the ECB can restrict overseas players is by not allowing work-permits. But for those EU qualified (whether by family ancestry of trade agreement) there is no way such restrictions can be put in place.

Friedel de Wet signed a Kolpak agreement with Middlesex only for his work permit to be denied.

 

[Richard]

Really? By who? And on what grounds?

 

[TT Boy]

Willoughby's bowled a fair bit quicker than that merely on the occasions I've seen him. He had virtually no international opportunities, and neither Nel nor Ntini have ever truly convinced on the international stage.

He toured Bangladesh, England and has been apart of the South African A team on various occasions, he has had more than ample time to break down the international ‘door’.

Also, Ntini has a more than decent international record considering he was selected years before he should have been and has excelled against the very best; he even bowled well recently in India which was a first for Makhaya. You may question his record away from home but Ntini’s overall record, wickets and sheer weight of performances has been exceptional at times and a couple of years back he was arguably the best pacemen around.

 

[Manee]

It only applies to countries which have trade agreements with the EU.

Basically, the "England national team" qualifications are set by I$C$C. However, playing for England and playing in the domestic game are different things - as players are actually employed by counties, they're not merely playing for but earning a living. The only way the ECB can restrict overseas players is by not allowing work-permits. But for those EU qualified (whether by family ancestry of trade agreement) there is no way such restrictions can be put in place.

Interesting. Can't the ECB deny work permits on the basis of the fact that the county game is the feeder toward international cricket and that Kolpaks do not serve such a purpose.

 

[TT Boy]

Really? By who? And on what grounds?

The story...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/middlesex/7328127.stm

Was never a follow up of who actually rescinded his work permit and why.

 

[gettingbetter]

Anyone want to fill me in with how the young un's are going this season, that being the likes of Harris, Finn and Goodleman.

 

[Richard]

He toured Bangladesh, England and has been apart of the South African A team on various occasions, he has had more than ample time to break down the international ‘door’.

WoW, a tour of Bangladesh, such a big reward. I seem to recall him playing, what, 2 games against India on that tour. May even have been just 1.

He played a whole 1 Test in England, on one of the flattest pitches you'll see and in a game where barely a single ball swung all match. He still managed to bowl economically, mind.

Willoughby did not get a fair crack of the whip at international level, I am not changing my mind there.

Also, Ntini has a more than decent international record considering he was selected years before he should have been and has excelled against the very best; he even bowled well recently in India which was a first for Makhaya. You may question his record away from home but Ntini’s overall record, wickets and sheer weight of performances has been exceptional at times and a couple of years back he was arguably the best pacemen around.

The fact he was arguably the best paceman around speaks more about the lack of quality seamers in recent times than anything. Yes, he has had his moments, and certainly he's been a good servant to SA of times between 2000/01 and 2007/08, but he's still left a lot of boxes unticked.