English Ringers, mate!

[PY]

Think he might be referring to the fact that Symonds is an Englishman and has been playing county cricket since he was a teenager.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Think he might be referring to the fact that Symonds is an Englishman and has been playing county cricket since he was a teenager.

I realise he's an Englishman, but I'm pretty sure he was Australia-based since he was very young.

 

[luckyeddie]

When did Symonds move to Australia? He was playing hockey in my area when he was 13 so he must have been pretty young. I think it's fair to suggest he didn't learn to play cricket like that in England! haha

<quack> You're right. Otherwise he'd have been good.

 

[Son Of Coco]

<quack> You're right. Otherwise he'd have been good.

haha......um.....yeah, of course. That's what I meant.

 

[gio]

Also, isn't Strauss from South Africa, not Melbourne?

Andrew Strauss was born in SA to British parents working at the British embasy. He has lived and grown up in Britain.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Andrew Strauss was born in SA to British parents working at the British embasy. He has lived and grown up in Britain.

Thanks for that. I was under the impression his family lived in SA until he was about 6, had 18 months in Melbourne & then moved to blighty.

Under the current rules would he have qualified for SA before he debuted for England?

 

[Will Scarlet]

I think it is OK for foreign born players representing another country as long as they have never represented their home country at any level. Otherwise they are damn traitors!

 

[Craig]

Thanks for that. I was under the impression his family lived in SA until he was about 6, had 18 months in Melbourne & then moved to blighty.

Under the current rules would he have qualified for SA before he debuted for England?

The fact he was born there would be help.

Had he gone back and deicded to play for South Africa, it shouldn't be that hard to get a SA citizenship?

 

[age_master]

If they qualify for england and want to play for england thats great, england need all the help they can get :P:P:P

seriously though, if they want to play for england and are good enough, why should they not play.

*note Clyde Rathbone is one of my favourtie rugby players *

 

[Linda]

Agreed. Even the bit about Clyde.

 

[Richard]

If someone is listed as an English sportsman, they're an English sportsman, simple as that for me.
Even the like of Billy Murdoch and co. who played for two coutries (Kepler Wessels and John Traicos are two more recent examples) don't bother me in the slightest.
I wouldn't even mind if Craig Spearman of Stuart Law played for England... well, I would, but not because they've played for someone else. Because I believe the team would be better without them, brilliant a player as Law undoubtedly is.

 

[BoyBrumby]

If someone is listed as an English sportsman, they're an English sportsman, simple as that for me.
Even the like of Billy Murdoch and co. who played for two coutries (Kepler Wessels and John Traicos are two more recent examples) don't bother me in the slightest.
I wouldn't even mind if Craig Spearman of Stuart Law played for England... well, I would, but not because they've played for someone else. Because I believe the team would be better without them, brilliant a player as Law undoubtedly is.

Fair point. But with foreign born or raised we kinda have it both ways, don't we? Many is the time that Greg Rusedski walks onto the court as the British number two & leaves it as the unfortunate Canadian!

With regards to Spearman, I think we could find a role for him in the OD team for sure. As for Stu Law, I do think that if (by some miracle) we did manage to wrest The Ashes from The Aussies it would be slightly tarnished by playing an Australian in his late 30s who is struggling to get a UK passport.

Wouldn't stop me hailing him as a genius tho!

 

[luckyeddie]

Fair point. But with foreign born or raised we kinda have it both ways, don't we? Many is the time that Greg Rusedski walks onto the court as the British number two & leaves it as the unfortunate Canadian!

As far as I'm concerned, he's as Canadian as The Lumberjack Song and Moosehead beer, and just as ambiguous as both.

(I hope Moosehead's Canadian - it's weaselwee anyway)

 

[BoyBrumby]

As far as I'm concerned, he's as Canadian as The Lumberjack Song and Moosehead beer, and just as ambiguous as both.

(I hope Moosehead's Canadian - it's weaselwee anyway)

Do you feel tha same about, say Lennox Lewis or Owen Hargreaves tho?

Cheers for tip about Moosehead (with a name like that its either Canadian or trying pretty damn hard to suggest it is!). Never tried it. Never will either now!

 

[marc71178]

Owen Hargreaves - not really a good example as he's worse than Rusedski!

 

[BoyBrumby]

Owen Hargreaves - not really a good example as he's worse than Rusedski!

Admittedly he does sport the most comical Canadian/German accent (and not too sure about the greasy perm either), but he at least had something of a grounding in English football tradition what with a dad from Bolton.

I personally would've liked to have seen Harry Kewell take the Queen's shilling too. Think both his folks are English and we could do with his left foot!

 

[marc71178]

No, with Hargreaves, I meant he's rubbish!

 

[BoyBrumby]

Fair call!!

 

[JASON]

If they want to play for england they're as good as english for my money. What i dont agree with is the players playing county cricket with an EU passport or with English grandparents that have no intention of ever playing for England.

Agree with Space Monkey on this one. This should be the same in every Test playing country!!
Unfortunately England applies this fairly to all concerned, while some others (u know who) are parochial to their bitter end and would select only players of certain origins/countries than others!!

Having said that, when several players of caribbean origin were selected for England not too long ago, old gooners like Norman Tebbitt (Lord Tebbitt of where ever ) wanted to test their loyalty to England (ie when England played West Indies - implying that the likes of De freitas, Gladstone Small, Devon Malcolm were not committed or not giving off their 100% against the West Indies or attempting to sabotage England's cause from within)- which later became known as the 'Tebbitt Test' (IIRC) .

I wonder if the same old geezers raise this when a "White" boy from South Africa or a "Fair Dinkum Aussie" or "Sheila" plays for England!!!

 

[BoyBrumby]

when several players of caribbean origin were selected for England not too long ago, old gooners like Norman Tebbitt (Lord Tebbitt of where ever ) wanted to test their loyalty to England (ie when England played West Indies - implying that the likes of De freitas, Gladstone Small, Devon Malcolm were not committed or not giving off their 100% against the West Indies or attempting to sabotage England's cause from within)- which later became known as the 'Tebbitt Test' (IIRC) .

I wonder if the same old geezers raise this when a "White" boy from South Africa or a "Fair Dinkum Aussie" or "Sheila" plays for England!!!

I'm inclined to think they wouldn't....

Does smack of the "r" word, I agree. Tebbit is an awful old crypto-nazi anyway.