Wastemen etc

[Immenso]

SA cricket board are the ones who ban them from playing domestically. Nothing about Kolpak does that.

It is for English domestic games benefit. We don't want loads of non-English qualified players playing in CC, it stops young English players coming through and doesn't help our game. If you are on an overseas contract that is fine, it is 1 player who lifts the standard and should be allowed to go and play international cricket because it is fair for all teams. There should be a downside to being a Kolpak player, else you get the scenes that happened in 2008, Northants vs Leicestershire where 13 non English qualified players played in a CC game. You'll note that since the 2009 changes the number of Kolpak players has fallen greatly, and in the meantime Northants have produced Ben Duckett + Olly Stones two exciting English talents. Leicestershire also had a really improved year with a young team.

On your first point. I'm not talking about domestic cricket in the country of origin after a player has kolpaked. The 'damage' is done by that player having to give up any international aspirations regardless of whether they clash with county cricket.

Some players return to play a domestic off season in their original country, but do so as 'foreign players'. Unsure on kolpaks but definitely those with EU citizenship.

On your second point. I absolutely agree. But it does degrade test cricket. Not just kolpaks but also those who pursue county careers on UK or EU passports. The door to work is opened by the EU, but the door to continue non-English international cricket while also pursuing a county career is shut by the ECB.

It's the ECBs right to do this , although I doubt it would stand up to a Bosman or Kolpak style court challenge (especially for the EU citizenship guys like Robson, Jarvis etc) if someone cared enough to do it.

I just have a beef with those who say it is the EU stopping kolpaks continuing to play international cricket with Zim or SAF. It isn't, it is the ECB, an unintended consequence of an ECB policy trying to ensure all but 1 county player is England qualified.

 

[Tom Flint]

100 FC English cricketers to pick 11 from, given the dilution of quality because they are 18 counties isn't enough. It isn't like Australia where Grade cricket is basically same standard as Div 2 English cricket so the pool is deep underneath the FC structure.

The regional league's in england aren't that far behind grade cricket. Kusal mendis was the overseas player at our club in middlesex a couple years ago and never stood out, yet a couple months ago he was smashing a ton against starc and hazelwood
Edit * I play for a club on the same grounds that mendis did but they are 5 or 6 divisions above my team lol

 

[Stefan9]

Just too much uncertainty about the politics and what seems to be the never ending changes to the quota rules. If you're a white S African, unless you're an absolutely rock star in the AB, Steyn, de Kock bracket, there's just too much uncertainty when it comes to national honours. Let's be honest even Faf's place was looking suspect before doing really well and securing the captaincy spot once and for all.

Faf's spot was under threat because he hadn't scored a run for 12 month's. He was averaging 20 for the year. One would think you deserve to be in trouble when performing like that.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

It's the ECBs right to do this , although I doubt it would stand up to a Bosnian or Kolpak style court challenge (especially for the EU citizenship guys like Robson, Jarvis etc) if someone cared enough to do it.

Yeah I think you're right here (although there is an European court decision from 1974 saying sport federations are pretty much free to determine themselves which country an athlete is eligible for, both the ECJ and the sport industry have changed significantly since then).

The new fudge would probably be to remove the 7-year qualifying period, though, rather than allow Kolpaks to play for their country of birth.

 

[Furball]

Isn't the whole point of Kolpak that you're exploiting a loophole which allows you to work in the EU and be treated as an EU national (or in cricket's case as a local player).

You can't have your cake and eat it - you can't play as a local player in English domestic cricket and play international cricket for South Africa.

 

[Immenso]

Isn't the whole point of Kolpak that you're exploiting a loophole which allows you to work in the EU and be treated as an EU national (or in cricket's case as a local player).

You can't have your cake and eat it - you can't play as a local player in English domestic cricket and play international cricket for South Africa.

You can though, legally, but no one yet has decided to rock the boat.

And probably never will, as the countries that would accept having use of a test cricketer on a part time basis if they were available - are the smaller poorer ones and generally not boards any player would want to go into battle with/for. (CSA, ZCU, WICB)

Eg. Not a kolpak example. But if Chris Jordan had gone down the Windies route, but as a UK citizen wanted to play county cricket as a local. ECB currrently prevent this.

This would get blown out of the water, I assume, by a competent lawyer.

So yes, kolpaks have the same restrictions as dual-national UK citizens. If they want to combine county cricket with a non-English international career.

But these are ECB restrictions, that other sports have deemed unenforceable. But there are currrntly no financial incentives for anyone to challenge it.

 

[cnerd123]

100 FC English cricketers to pick 11 from, given the dilution of quality because they are 18 counties isn't enough. It isn't like Australia where Grade cricket is basically same standard as Div 2 English cricket so the pool is deep underneath the FC structure.

Wait

If you have dilution of quality with 100 FC cricketers in 18 counties, surely you would want more non English players playing then, not less?

200 FC cricketers in 18 counties is even more diluted, and conversely, even worse to pick from no?

 

[slippy888]

Bob Woolmer

Will his death ever get a proper investigation, 10 years on still nothing but false lies.

 

[Shri]

Yeah, I'd like to know too.

 

[fredfertang]

There's already been an inquest that lasted a month and was supposedly inconclusive - absent some revelatory new evidence what more could be achieved ten years on?

 

[Athlai]

Everyone knows it was an evil syndicate who was covering up a loose end after Pakistan threw the game against Ireland.

/tinfoil hat

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Given that the cause of death reported by the experts ranged from natural causes to manual strangulation it would be a bit tricky to find an appropriate place to start.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Safe to say the whole thing stinks but we will never find out what happened. The fact that as LT says the cause of death varied so much from different people means you will always have question marks about it. Can't see what new evidence can come out now unless someone confesses to doing something if anything dodgy actually happened.

 

[slippy888]

Kamran Akmal

The guy needs to make a come back he bring in comedy value to the Pakistan team

 

[Daemon]

It did seem like they were paying a tribute to him in the field today

 

[indiaholic]

inb4 OS PTSD

 

[Gob]

Is it Cameron dancing at the end?

Still better than Wade though

 

[vcs]

The dancing at the end

 

[Gob]

The dancing at the end

I know right

 

[sledger]

Kamran Akmal vs Comparison Threads