OT cricket

[roger_ramjet]

Last night's T20 between Gloucestershire and Glamorgan was extraordinary if only beacause Glamorgan had only 3 players born in the UK. The team featured 6 South African born players, 2 Australians (plus 2 Welsh and 1 English).

Every team is entitled to 2 overseas players, but 8? I can only partially blame the EU movement of labour law for 1 player, leaving 5 "Kolpaks". What the hell are we doing letting this happen and weakening the development of our national team? Cricket is going the way of football and becoming an international forum at the long term expense of the domestic team.

Leicestershire fielded 6 foreign players over the weekend vs Warwickshire, just to prove I am not being Welsh-ist ! It just makes no sense

[Andy_Faber]

Last night's T20 between Gloucestershire and Glamorgan was extraordinary if only beacause Glamorgan had only 3 players born in the UK. The team featured 6 South African born players, 2 Australians (plus 2 Welsh and 1 English).

Every team is entitled to 2 overseas players, but 8? I can only partially blame the EU movement of labour law for 1 player, leaving 5 "Kolpaks". What the hell are we doing letting this happen and weakening the development of our national team? Cricket is going the way of football and becoming an international forum at the long term expense of the domestic team.

Leicestershire fielded 6 foreign players over the weekend vs Warwickshire, just to prove I am not being Welsh-ist ! It just makes no sense

Once again, agreed. Its just a bonkers agreement and the point about Zithifrikins impacting our national game applies to many other nationalities and 'proper' jobs as well, leads to wage deflation and underinvestment in training and education of UK nationals.

Back to Krikkit, I could barely watch the 'England' side when it was increasingly stuff with South Africans, I have no axe to grind about folk who make there home here representing England/UK but there is way too much 'marriage of convenience' going on

On a related subject, if you are a reader, read Tony Cascarino's engrossing autobiography, where nationality by descendants is amusingly shown as a farce

[AdiSalisbury]

I don't like cricket,


I'll leave you to finish that one!

[roger_ramjet]

...... oh no, I love it

and there was me watching Snatch last night as well.

[Acido]

I agree that the foreign introduction has or is ruining cricket just like its done to footy. And to think that we/Yorkshire were the last county to stick with home grown players only.
I actually think we were daft and naive to do that though for as long as we did. While other counties were improving their squads with internationals we were just finishing near the bottom and winning sod all.

[ramAnag]

Agreed Rog. The contributions of players like Lloyd, Engineer, Sobers, Proctor, Richards and Barlow to English cricket in the seventies and eighties cannot be overestimated but as ever in this country we've since seemed to take things to excess so it has now become completely counterproductive...except in Yorkshire where they're always a bit slow on the uptake.

[AdiSalisbury]

County Championship, or Big Bash / IPL ... it's easy to see where the interest is. I don't think we're the only nation struggling.

I went to Barbados (check me showing off) on a cricket tour a few years back, we played their village teams. They were so much better than us, to the point where we realised that over there you are either pro, semi-pro, or don't play. They live and breathe the sport and we all learned a hell of a lot from them. Yet their national side isn't competing the way it used to, which is baffling considering it's practically a religion for them.

Then I look at other nations, will we see another dominant force like Australia were 15 years ago? Will we see a new Tendulker (spelling apologies) emerge? Nothing looks likely on the test front.

Personally, I think their is too much international cricket being played, so if anyone gets good they are off, which is a problem for nurturing home grown talent.

[swaledale]

Once again, agreed. Its just a bonkers agreement and the point about Zithifrikins impacting our national game applies to many other nationalities and 'proper' jobs as well, leads to wage deflation and underinvestment in training and education of UK nationals.

Back to Krikkit, I could barely watch the 'England' side when it was increasingly stuff with South Africans, I have no axe to grind about folk who make there home here representing England/UK but there is way too much 'marriage of convenience' going on

On a related subject, if you are a reader, read Tony Cascarino's engrossing autobiography, where nationality by descendants is amusingly shown as a farce

Agree on the sport bit as far as foreign talent goes, the nationality bit is disingenuous because believe it or not we live in a world where different nationalities actually have the temerity to travel and work and reside elsewhere.

The assertion that "foreigners" being employed here leads to wage deflation and under investment in education and skills training for UK nationals is not borne out by the facts, but then your not one to let facts get in the way of what you believe.