Should Counties be careful who they sign?
With the news being reported on Cricinfo that Australian opening batsman Ed Cowan may play for Notts next season – an Ashes season – it raises the question that occurs most seasons “how much responsibility does County Cricket have to Team England”.
Signing an Australian who will come over here and play the first couple of months of the season, getting themselves theoretically in to nick and acclimatised to the conditions before going out and playing against our national side isn’t without controversy. It’s far from ideal from an England point of view. And let’s not forget that county cricket is reliant on the ECB money generated by Team England although I would argue that this being redistributed back to the counties isn’t a “handout” as some call it. It is a recognition of and a reward for the hard work counties do in finding and developing England players.
Should counties be more mindful of England fixtures when deciding on their overseas signings?
Yes – maybe. But equally, county cricket is there to both serve Team England but equally maybe more importantly it is there to provide high quality, entertaining cricket for those who pay to go and watch it. And if to provide the highest quality cricket you can it involves signing an overseas player who then goes on to play against England later in the season then maybe so be it?
It has been increasingly difficult for counties to be able to secure the services of high quality overseas players – because of the increasingly packed schedules and the changes in the visa regulations and the competition from other competitions. If a quality player becomes available and is willing to sign – perhaps they should just snap them up.
County cricket is about winning trophies and entertaining the paying public. Not just servicing Team England.
What’s your view?
If the whole Australia team came over before a Ashes series for a few months to get used to conditions then it would be a problem but I dont see the problem with 1 or 2 Aussies coming over. It can only good for the fans to see top class players
The media said the same in 2009 when Middlesex signed Phil Hughes. Whilst he got stacks of runs in Division 2 on flat wickets, it gave England (and Andrew Strauss in particular who batted with him for long periods) a chance to have a closer look at the Aussie Wunderkind. By the time the Ashes came around, plans had ben developed and the lad didn’t last the series. It can work both ways…..
agree with Chris there, if it’s a player England aren’t familiar with, when perhaps it actually serves a purpose to put him in the spotlight under English conditions…
Your argument is based on the premise that Pulitzer Cowan will be representing Australia in the Ashes. Australia play another seven Tests between now and then. I’m tipping even our selectors will have worked out how mediocre a batsman he is by then.
That’s a very good point Lord Aram – although who are the other candidates pushing for that openers slot?
Let’s see:
Usman Khawaja
Joe Burns
Michael Klinger
Chris Rogers
Liam Davis
Chris Hartley
Mark Cosgrove
Most are younger cricketers. All are better cricketers.
This is not to mention putting Phil Hughes back in the openers slot and taking your pick of a raft of younger and better middle order batsmen around the country.
When I was young, overseas players regularly played county cricket (I watched a young Greg Chappell make a century at Taunton in about 1970), and I’m sure both the standard of the cricket and the interest levels were higher then. This may, of course, be nostalgia on my part, but Somerset at one time had Beefy, Viv and Big Bird in their ranks, which surely helped their one day success!
In summary, I do think overseas players should be encouraged to play county cricket (I think, for example, it would help a lot of the current Indian team), in the interests of county cricket.
You are assuming that it would help him but if he struggles in conditions over here it could actually destroy his confidence.