Samir wrote recently about his problem in adjusting to the idea that a team allegedly representing Delhi had a load of foreigners in it. Here in England, this is not exactly a novelty, since most counties have had overseas players for forty years - even Yorkshire relaxed its Yorkshire-born-only rule nearly twenty years ago.
There are probably still a few diehards hanging around among the membership of every county who think the use of overseas players is immoral or unpatriotic, but the vast majority have completely adjusted to the idea of adopting someone from abroad as one of their own.
Winning things for the team is a fantastic way of breaking the ice: people can forgive a great deal in someone’s background if they are instrumental in bringing silverware or even just winning a few games. Having captained Yorkshire to their first championship in thirty years, Australian Darren Lehmann has a plaque in his honour on the West Stand at Headingley. If parochial Yorkshire can take an Aussie to their bosom, anyone can.
County sides now have players from three sources: home-grown players who have come up through the county’s youth system, players who were previously on another county’s books, and imports from abroad. If you have no other source of information, you can work out which category a new player falls into by listening to the comments from the members as he trudges back after being out for a scratchy thirteen.
They have patience with the promising young lad from the second eleven: he looked as though he was trying or did not have a lot of luck – but maybe he’s not really ready for the first team yet. And they are much quicker to welcome his arrival as a worthy player: a couple of fifties and a maiden hundred are quite enough to ensure a gaggle of admirers at the next supporters’ evening.
Those who previously tried elsewhere cause Playfairs to be extracted from pockets and consulted as to the previous record, after which comes “I don’t know why they keep getting us these Hampshire rejects. They’re never any good. Remember Kevin Shine? He was bloody awful too.”
Unless the English import has been poached by dangling large salary cheques in his face, in which case he might as well be an overseas player. By definition (at least in the supporter’s mind), overseas players get paid barrowloads of money which they probably wouldn’t deserve even if they were Donald Bradman and SF Barnes rolled into one. Resentment that this hyped-up popinjay is taking the county for a luxuriously-upholstered ride grows quickly, and you can hear knots of supporters expressing a fierce pleasure when he fails again “because at least we’ll get shot of him for next season.”
On the other hand, the class import may well have enough ability to win hearts and minds immediately. I missed Phil Hughes’s rapid hundred for Middlesex last Thursday, but those who saw it were quick to say that he had been “awesome”. I got to see him make 65* on Saturday and another 74 on Sunday, and I too was impressed.
I also worked out how England could counter him in the Ashes, but as I explained my theory about the field to set, one of my companions spotted a rather big objection: the Laws do not actually permit a 12-3 offside field. Well, that’s a problem for later. In the meantime, he’s playing for Middlesex and is due to open with Andrew Strauss in the game which may or may not start tomorrow depending on the weather. I hope he enjoys the Southgate pitch.
What I don't care for is the practice of overseas players dropping in for very short stints for reasons other than helping the county concerned. To listen to the quotes of the various Aussies who are dropping to get a bit of practice before the Ashes, you would think they were paying the county for making practice facilities available rather than the other way round. I'd like to see it limited to one overseas player per season. That way, counties would have to choose a lot more wisely and might actually get players who developed some loyalty to the cause. I have nor problem at all with players like Lehman and Langer.
Posted by: Dr Sagar at April 27, 2009 6:41 PM
After seeing the performance of Kolkata team this season, I think NIGHT raiders suits for the team.
Posted by: Dave at April 27, 2009 10:06 PM
Down here in Australia I've honestly never heard of there being any real issues with oversees players in the county comp, Warne has always been outspoken in his support for Hampshire and, as Rod mentioned above, Lehmann and Langer have shown great devotion to their county teams. At the risk of reigniting the debate, however, I must point out what I see to be hypocrisy in objecting to Aussie players because it is an Ashes year, when at the same time Gloucestershire can call up Porterfield to play for them, not inconcievably against Ireland, in the FP trophy. A lot of people aren't mentioning England poaching of Eoin Morgan for the World Twenty20 either.
Posted by: C. Dale at April 27, 2009 10:35 PM
What grates many, rightly to my mind, is that arrangements are rarely reciprocal; the county circuit has provided any number of foreign test-class players to either refine, or restore, their skills, to the benefit of county and player. However, I cannot recall, Anderson, Strauss and Harmison notwithstanding, any English player near the test squad playing domestic cricket abroad of late. Whether this is the result of apathy on the part of players, reluctance by the ECB, or reticence by foreign sides, I am not certain, however, it does strike one as unfair that the "county finishing school" should benefit so many test nations.
Perhaps, in future, "overseas" players should either be contracted for a minimum period to prevent abuses, or reciprocity should be required.
Posted by: William Ley at April 28, 2009 1:56 AM
In Australia, I can safely say, the domestic teams have two goals in this order: (i) provide test cricketers; (ii) win games. I feel that England are doing Australia a huge advantage by letting the likes of (the outstanding) Phil Hughes warm up in their country.
Posted by: paul at April 28, 2009 3:33 AM
In Australia there are six (6) state teams. In England there are twenty (20) county teams. Apart from the obvious greater competition for available spots no Australian domestic side is going to recruit a foreign player unless they can somehow improve the side and be better than an available local. This would generally exclude most English players with the exception of centrally contracted players who wouldn't be available in any event. Australian domestic sides have fielded Younis Khan, Murray Goodwin and Irvine in recent times so to say that no foreigners get a run is incorrect.
Samir Chopra lives in Brooklyn and teaches Computer Science and Philosophy at the City University of New York; his academic interests include the philosophical foundations of artificial intelligence and the politics of technology. In his third undergraduate year, he captained Mathematics in the departmental cricket competition (and lost to Chemistry in the first round). Samir played C-grade cricket in Sydney and makes guest appearances for his old club when possible (and desirable). Samir runs the blog Eye on Cricket and the cricket page at The Faster Times.
Paul Ford is a co-founder of the New Zealand cricket supporters' cult, the Beige Brigade. He was once described by a current New Zealand cricketer as "looking spastic" even mucking about with an Excalibur and a tennis ball in the backyard. Paul bowls right-armed Nathan Astlesque "nudes", his batting would make Ewen Chatfield look elegant, and he is a committed fielder. He sometimes grows a beard to hide his double chin and inhabits a periphery of cricket that Cricinfo is proud to be glimpsing through this blog.
Stephen Gelb grew up in Cape Town, a short walk from the beautiful Newlands ground. Always a better student of the game than player, his passion for cricket survived eight years as a student in Canada, where he learned to love baseball too. He lives in Johannesburg doing economic research at The EDGE Institute and teaching at Wits University.
Mike Holmans, a database consultant by profession, has spent thirty summers (and a few winters) going to the cricket. Brought up in one and working in the other, his dearest wish is for a season to end with Yorkshire winning the county championship by beating runners-up Middlesex by one wicket with five minutes to go. If it’s also a summer when England win the Ashes, so much the better.
Born in Colombo, educated at Oxford and now living in Brisbane - Michael Jeh (Fox) is a cricket lover with a global perspective on the game. An Oxford Blue who played first-class cricket, he is a Playing Member of the MCC and still plays grade cricket. His views on cricket might best be described as those of a "modern traditionalist". Michael now works closely with elite athletes in his job as a manager at Griffith University in Queensland.
Saad Shafqat takes special pride that his cricket-watching life began during the three-month interval between Javed Miandad's debut Test in Lahore and Imran Khan's 12-wicket haul at Sydney. Although a practicing neurologist based in Karachi, cricket has never been far from his activities. He has co-authored Javed Miandad’s autobiography Cutting Edge and has been a contributor to Cricinfo since 2005. His regular column Reverse Swing appears fortnightly in Dawn, Pakistan’s leading English daily.
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