Saffers in English cricket

[Albion]

Jonathan Trott's successful debut now makes it four Englishmen who were born in South Africa who have now cemented their place in the English Test team, the others being Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen and Matthew Prior....

Those who like to include Strauss & Prior as 'South Africans' leave me feeling a little uneasy too.

Luke Ronchi, Moises Henriques & Andrew Symonds. Are they not Aussies? So why mention Strauss and Prior who are products of our system?

I have another example of when this question of ethnicity gets raised - would people have been ok with Ben Hutton & Neil Compton playing for England?

Both Saffer 'raised' but both grandsons of legendary England players.

What about Michael Lumb? Born in SA, and played U19 for them but the son of former Yorkshire batsman Richard Lumb.

I really don't have a problem with KP or Trott playing for us - its not like they've been digging up trees in SA cricket and then turned out for us the next week. Both of them have done at least 5 years qualifying.

There is no denying that English counties are failing to produce enough home grown talent. When was the last time England produced a great player? Nothing will change because it seems all counties will take the easy option of importing someone of British/EU descent rather than producing their own.

 

[Furball]

Yeah, fair enough, although I suspect it's the carrot of test cricket rather than England just being "better" per se that's lead to the change of allegiance.

However, your point supports my contention about KP being at least partly English. If a Glasgow born-and-raised son of Irish parents considers himself Irish why can't the son of an English mother born and bred in Pietermaritzburg think of himself as at least in part English?

McGeady's parents aren't Irish.

 

[kingkallis]

Claims to have supported England in some sport as a kid, can't remember which

Ooops!

 

[Zinzan]

I see Peter Roebuck touches on the same point in this excellent article ...

No time for back-slapping | Opinion | Cricinfo Magazine | Cricinfo.com

"Meanwhile England stands at fifth on the table. Its Ashes team was not entirely a product of English cricket, or indeed the country at large. Four of the top six batsmen were born in South Africa. The coach comes from Zimbabwe, two of the players come from the local Asian communities, and two Irishmen have fought their way into the one-day party."

 

[TT Boy]

Why is Ravi and Monty a contentious issue for Roebuck? Both players were born in England, educated in England and was produced by the English system. The ECB should be commended for tapping into the British Asian community, not abandoning it.

Simon Katich is from a relatively recent immigrant community, as are Nathan Hauritz, Jason Krejza, Len Pascoe et cetera. Roebuck is a goon.

 

[Zinzan]

Why is Ravi and Monty a contentious issue for Roebuck? Both players were born in England, educated in England and was produced by the English system. The ECB should be commended for tapping into the British Asian community, not abandoning it.

Simon Katich is from a relatively recent immigrant community, as are Nathan Hauritz, Jason Krejza, Len Pascoe et cetera. Roebuck is a goon.

Roebuck does have a history of making something out of nothing, I'll give you that

 

[GIMH]

Yes, was about to post the same thing. So what that they are from the Asian community? Would he have said anything if any players had been from the black community?

And I am ****ING SICK of Strauss and Prior's place of birth being brought up. Suppose this cretin didn't have a problem with Symonds playing for Australia? And what two Irishmen in the one-day party have to do with us winning the Ashes is beyond me, as well as the fact that, well, Joyce last played for us over two years ago.

********.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Yeah I wouldn't get too wound up about Roebuck. He is clearly a moron with some sort of agenda to push against the English cricket team. Always thought he was a **** TBH.

 

[zaremba]

I see Peter Roebuck touches on the same point in this excellent article ...

No time for back-slapping | Opinion | Cricinfo Magazine | Cricinfo.com

"Meanwhile England stands at fifth on the table. Its Ashes team was not entirely a product of English cricket, or indeed the country at large. Four of the top six batsmen were born in South Africa. The coach comes from Zimbabwe, two of the players come from the local Asian communities, and two Irishmen have fought their way into the one-day party."

Well beat me on my bare buttocks, if it isn't Peter Roebuck once again displaying some remarkable double standards - it's ok for him to consider himself a fair dinkum naturalised Aussie, but when naturalised Englishmen choose to play for England it's a matter for snide comment.

 

[Furball]

I see Peter Roebuck touches on the same point in this excellent article ...

No time for back-slapping | Opinion | Cricinfo Magazine | Cricinfo.com

"Meanwhile England stands at fifth on the table. Its Ashes team was not entirely a product of English cricket, or indeed the country at large. Four of the top six batsmen were born in South Africa. The coach comes from Zimbabwe, two of the players come from the local Asian communities, and two Irishmen have fought their way into the one-day party."

Borderline racism from Roebuck there - how is Ravi Bopara any less English than Alastair Cook?

 

[Zinzan]

Borderline racism from Roebuck there - how is Ravi Bopara any less English than Alastair Cook?

Racism aside, I would have thought Bopara is technically 'less English' than Cook because although they were both born there, by race Cook's English (well looks it to me) and Bopara look more asian to me (again I'm guessing to an extent here).

But certainly take your point that Bopara has equally as much right to qualify for England as Cook does, as both were born there.

 

[James_W]

I don't even know what nationality I am let alone any of these English Saffies/Irish/Asians.

 

[Craig]

I don't even know what nationality I am let alone any of these English Saffies/Irish/Asians.

Were you born in NI and lived there your whole life and where were your parents born? If you were born in NI then to me that would suggest you are Northern Irish, or even Irish if you will (please forgive me there).

 

[BoyBrumby]

McGeady's parents aren't Irish.

Ah, apologies. Took Uppercut's word for it.

 

[wpdavid]

Yeah I wouldn't get too wound up about Roebuck. He is clearly a moron with some sort of agenda to push against the English cricket team. Always thought he was a **** TBH.

What he said. Presumably Roebuck's never forgiven the old country for taking offence at his child-beating activities. Or maybe for never giving him a cap during an era when everyone else with a pulse played a test or two.

The poor sap hasn't come to terms with Aus's defeat, so has to take solace in this type of griping. It's actually a rehash of similar garbage that he wrote before the series started.

 

[superkingdave]

Peter Roebuck...WAC

 

[Furball]

Racism aside, I would have thought Bopara is technically 'less English' than Cook because although they were both born there, by race Cook's English (well looks it to me) and Bopara look more asian to me (again I'm guessing to an extent here).

But certainly take your point that Bopara has equally as much right to qualify for England as Cook does, as both were born there.

It's racism as it's suggesting that due to the colour of his skin, Bopara isn't as English as Cook, who's white.

It's nonsense.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

"Meanwhile England stands at fifth on the table. Its Ashes team was not entirely a product of English cricket, or indeed the country at large. Four of the top six batsmen were born in South Africa. The coach comes from Zimbabwe, two of the players come from the local Asian communities, and two Irishmen have fought their way into the one-day party."

This the same bloke who praised South Africa every four seconds for their multicultural team and fans?

Heigh ho...

 

[Langeveldt]

Roebuck is a ****tard of note, who I wouldn't let my dog near, and I don't even have a dog.. If it wasn't so sick, I sometimes wish he would go back to beating children so I don't have to read his crap all the time..

So Bopara comes from an immigrant community.. Well so does basically the entire South Africa team bar Duminy, Prince and Gibbs (hey, thousands of years ago the Khoi-San communities might have spawned one of their descendants).. Oh and as for his Australia, well who would play for them? Jason Gillespie?

Unfortunatly my parents know Peter Roebuck on a personal level.. If I ever found out my dad bought him a drink, I'd fly over to England and slash his tyres.. Roebuck is a hideous person, a waste of air, time and carbon..

Was that too much?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Roebuck is a ****tard of note, who I wouldn't let my dog near, and I don't even have a dog.. If it wasn't so sick, I sometimes wish he would go back to beating children so I don't have to read his crap all the time..

So Bopara comes from an immigrant community.. Well so does basically the entire South Africa team bar Duminy, Prince and Gibbs (hey, thousands of years ago the Khoi-San communities might have spawned one of their descendants).. Oh and as for his Australia, well who would play for them? Jason Gillespie?

Unfortunatly my parents know Peter Roebuck on a personal level.. If I ever found out my dad bought him a drink, I'd fly over to England and slash his tyres.. Roebuck is a hideous person, a waste of air, time and carbon..

Was that too much?

One-sixteenth of him at any rate.