These days England’s selectors and Team Management seem to do a thoroughly professional job. It wasn’t always so. In this feature Martin examines the case of Robin Smith, aka The Judge.
The tightening of the ‘Kolpak’ regulations in recent times (the ruling that allows overseas players to play cricket in England without being classed as such) is one reason why many counties may have offered enhanced opportunities to promising youngsters, cricketers that would generally have been expecting a season largely consisting of second XI fixtures.