Why I wont attend one game this summer (Eng vs SA)

[jboss]

I am not paying to watch a contest that is no longer about nation vs nation. This has become a contest of who has more money or loves it more and who loves their country more. Why would anyone pay an international cricket ticket price for a game that is not an contest between 2 nations beats me. Good luck to you both and may the "better" South Africa win.

 

[zaremba]

Suit yourself. As an England supporter I've long since been happy to support my national team regardless of where its members were born or even where they learned their cricket. Some of my favourite England players, both historical and modern, have been "foreigners" - Ranji, Tony Grieg, Robin Smith, Devon Malcolm, KP. If these players choose to come and play for my team rather than someone else's, bring it on. The more the merrier. England is an extraordinarily cosmopolitan country made up of, and enriched by, successive waves of immigrants, the vast majority of whom have come for financial / career reasons.

And this is no new phenomenon - you might think of Clarrie Grimmett, Reggie Schwarz, Archie Jackson and a host of others as immigrants who cheapened the national teams that they played for. I don't.

 

[Goughy]

Suit yourself. As an England supporter I've long since been happy to support my national team regardless of where its members were born or even where they learned their cricket. Some of my favourite England players, both historical and modern, have been "foreigners" - Ranji, Tony Grieg, Robin Smith, Devon Malcolm, KP. If these players choose to come and play for my team rather than someone else's, bring it on. The more the merrier. England is an extraordinarily cosmopolitan country made up of, and enriched by, successive waves of immigrants, the vast majority of whom have come for financial / career reasons.

And this is no new phenomenon - you might think of Grimmett, Schwartz, Archie Jackson and a host of others as immigrants who cheapened the national teams that they played for. I don't.

Given the likes of Trott and KP were born with British passports, chose to make England their home and married to British women I find the idea of calling them anything but English (if they choose) wrong.

This is not about importing talent for cash as the OP suggests.

 

[Richard]

Some of my favourite England players... KP.

(BTW don't think Devon Malcolm really counts because even though he speaks with a Jamaican accent he came to the UK as a child unlike the others you mention who made their own choice to move over, all for perfectly legit reason.)

As for Trott and Pietersen anyone claiming they came over for financial reasons clearly hasn't read-up on their cases. The reason they came over was because they were unable to break into South African sides, and felt they were not getting a fair crack of the whip. The fault for that lies with selection committees in South Africa and probably nowhere else.

 

[Furball]

I am not paying to watch a contest that is no longer about nation vs nation. This has become a contest of who has more money or loves it more and who loves their country more. Why would anyone pay an international cricket ticket price for a game that is not an contest between 2 nations beats me. Good luck to you both and may the "better" South Africa win.

 

[0RI0N]

I am not paying to watch a contest that is no longer about nation vs nation. This has become a contest of who has more money or loves it more and who loves their country more. Why would anyone pay an international cricket ticket price for a game that is not an contest between 2 nations beats me. Good luck to you both and may the "better" South Africa win.

cool story bro

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I don't think too many people would pay to watch South Africa v England if the England team wasn't full of interlopers. It's a sorry fact that England would struggle to raise a competitive team.

 

[Craig]

I don't think too many people would pay to watch South Africa v England if the England team wasn't full of interlopers. It's a sorry fact that England would struggle to raise a competitive team.

Well AFAIK this was the last Test England played without having a member not born in England.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Well AFAIK this was the last Test England played without having a member not born in England.

Your point being............?

 

[Langeveldt]

I must admit, it loses a bit of edge when half of it feels like SA v SA A.. If England would rather take SA's scraps than grow their own players, then good luck to them..

 

[GGG]

I must admit, it loses a bit of edge when half of it feels like SA v SA A.. If England would rather take SA's scraps than grow their own players, then good luck to them..

Yep, half the reason that are **** at sports, look at their football league, its like spot the Englishman in a lot of the teams. But yeah pretty hard to take their cricket team seriously anymore.

 

[Richard]

I must admit, it loses a bit of edge when half of it feels like SA v SA A.. If England would rather take SA's scraps than grow their own players, then good luck to them..

Yeah Pietersen and Trott wouldn't have a hope if they were suddenly transplanted back to being South African-eligible would they?(!)

And quite how it's SA vs SA A yet just because of 2 whole players is beyond me. Kieswetter and co. haven't made the Test team yet.

 

[Edged&Taken]

Trott and Pietersen won't need to be in their hotels, they can stay with their parents.

 

[Somerset]

Might be a bit harsh to throw all the spotline on England with regards to using players of South African origin, when Grant Elliott, Ryan ten Doeschate and co. are playing international cricket for different nationalities other than their original place of birth...

 

[zaremba]

Yeah Pietersen and Trott wouldn't have a hope if they were suddenly transplanted back to being South African-eligible would they?(!)

And quite how it's SA vs SA A yet just because of 2 whole players is beyond me.

Quite.

Perhaps the original poster could attend some games but just stop watching when Pietersen comes out to bat?

 

[jboss]

Might be a bit harsh to throw all the spotline on England with regards to using players of South African origin, when Grant Elliott, Ryan ten Doeschate and co. are playing international cricket for different nationalities other than their original place of birth...

Harsh no

It is bad in general for cricket. I am all for players rights to do what they may but my issue is more with being a South African cricket fan paying international prices to see what will soon be half SA vs SA. Do not forget that part of revenues earned on ticket sales go to development of cricket in SA. Now I ask you if it is fair to pay this development fee to develop other countries players?

I wish ICC was more like fifa. It is not impossible to say that an england team one day could very well be just SA born players.

Further one can safely say that SA is already the better cricket nation between the 2 countries given that they are able to produce a team and a half of international quality while england can not even manage a full team.

 

[nightprowler10]

Would you feel the same way if Imran Tahir ever plays for South Africa?

 

[superkingdave]

Harsh no

It is bad in general for cricket. I am all for players rights to do what they may but my issue is more with being a South African cricket fan paying international prices to see what will soon be half SA vs SA. Do not forget that part of revenues earned on ticket sales go to development of cricket in SA. Now I ask you if it is fair to pay this development fee to develop other countries players?

I wish ICC was more like fifa. It is not impossible to say that an england team one day could very well be just SA born players.

Further one can safely say that SA is already the better cricket nation between the 2 countries given that they are able to produce a team and a half of international quality while england can not even manage a full team.

2 players = half champ?

Should Peitersen not be allowed to play for anyone? because part of his cricketing developement (i.e. the part when he became good) occurred when he was in England, and heck his mum is English, so surely he shouldn't be allowed to play for SA either?

 

[jboss]

Would you feel the same way if Imran Tahir ever plays for South Africa?

Well yes but lets say that I am more open to
being ok with those players that moved (like Tahir) abroad to be with their spouse.

The others have bitten the hand that fed them. I can not see the SA public standing for this for any prolonged period. We are the ones who paid/pay for the development of cricket in this country. Given that England is 1st world they should have enough money to pay for development of their own players.

I would equally be angry at the ECB if I were english for not using my ticket revenue on finding english talent.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Harsh no

It is bad in general for cricket. I am all for players rights to do what they may but my issue is more with being a South African cricket fan paying international prices to see what will soon be half SA vs SA. Do not forget that part of revenues earned on ticket sales go to development of cricket in SA. Now I ask you if it is fair to pay this development fee to develop other countries players?

I wish ICC was more like fifa. It is not impossible to say that an england team one day could very well be just SA born players.

Further one can safely say that SA is already the better cricket nation between the 2 countries given that they are able to produce a team and a half of international quality while england can not even manage a full team.

As a point of fact, if Trott or Pietersen were a footballer they wouldn't even have to had set foot in England to be eligible for the national team. Their English parents (father for the former, mother for the latter) would mean they were available for selection from birth. Owen Hargreaves (born in Canada to an English father and then playing in Germany) was picked without ever having lived or kicked a football in the country; at least with cricket the ECB insists on a 4 year residential qualification.