Unless I'm reading this article incorrectly, it seems to suggest that England's IPL players will miss the start of the English season, and indeed most of the matches up to the first Test. Am I missing something or have the inmates taken over the institution? This scenario will only further undermine a Championship season which seems less credible with each new year.
Cricket seems to have morphed into a 24-7, 365 day a year vocation. It will be a wonder if the Contracted/IPL players will have anything left in the tank for such comparatively mundane activities as the County Championship.
As a long time fan of the CC and English cricket in general, I hate the way the game is changing for the worse. I can feel my interest in cricket ebbing away as money seems to be the ONLY thing that counts these days. (Yes, I'm over 50!)
Pink Floyd were right...
Money, get away.
Get a good job with good pay and you're okay.
Money, it's a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think I'll buy me a cricket (football) team.
Its interesting that the quote about the 'haves' and the 'have nots' and a possible split in the England camp comes from one of the likely 'haves' - Samit Patel.
How the heck does he know what the 'have nots' will be thinking and feeling? Just how long has he been around the England set up?
Perhaps he has it in mind to give half of his IPL dollars to the 'have nots' and perhaps when he is found to be way out of his depth in the IPL the England selectors (whoever they may be come the summer) may just choose to ignore his claims for an England place and consider those who have been closer to home doing the business.
They must be confused in Durham as well - last year Harmi struggled to convince everyone that his return to the one day side had anything to do with money when we all suspected it did. At least Colly comes straight to the point and says its about the money and then realises he has to cover some other benefits as well afterwards.
I actually have no problem with players earning money abroad in the IPl or wherever - good luck to them. However, if it is at the expense of an existing contract they are supposed to have with their English counties then tough - are the counties scared of players running away to another county at first chance if they refuse to let them go to the IPL?
Patel appears to be available with Notts blessing - lets hope Yorkshire don't adopt the same stance with Rana as we either need him in the early season when the conditions should suit his bowling more than ever or we need shot of him so we can find someone better
Shouldn't Patel be concentrating on trying to secure a place in the England side before looking to foreign paydays.
Good luck to Freddie and Pietersen - I think they may find they aren't nearly as good as they think they are.
I also fervently hope that this is the end of any England player complaining about "burn-out" or their onerous schedule...
As county crickter's are notionally employed by their clubs should the club be given a certain percentage of any IPL earning to compensate for the player being unavailble for games.
and should the paying public be further reimbursed for seeing an inferior product for those games when the IPL overlaps? Membership discounts? Cheaper prices at the turnstiles?
I have just received a flyer from the club advertising the hospitality packages for the T20s this summer.
Once again there is another example of cricket going down the football route as the price for the Roses matches is now £20 a head higher than for the other games.
So around 30 Exec boxes which hold 12 people each...another £7,000 for the club just for the privilege of watching Lancashire as the opposition!
England had no choice but to down and agree to allow their England players to play in the Indian Premier League. Sadly, it is only a confirmation that the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament, worth millions of pounds to the top players, is not only here to stay but has changed cricket forever.
Another blow to ENGLISH cricket as many of our stars will be off playing in another continent during part of the domestic season. It looks like the ECB has been out-maneuvered again. But then what else is new?
What would PinoyBill have had to say about all this?
I agree and have every sympathy with the sentiments but like Canute, we cannot hold back the tide. How many games do the Aussie internationals play for their state side? Indian's? South African? etc etc....... I'd say next to none and if England wishes to compete performance wise and money wise then we'll have to travel down the same road.
I love the championship and love Yorkshire but we have to accept both for what they now are, producers and finishers for the next level. If the best players are not to be allowed to earn the big money they wil play rugby, icehockey or even tiddlywinks if they can make more money from it.
We should enjoy the likes of Rashid etc whilst we can and then wish them all the best for the future and then watch the next batch come along and enjoy them. We can't hold back tide, time or where cricket is heading so we may as well enjoy what we have while we have it.
I take everything that Samit Patel takes with a massive dose of salt. Shortly after getting into the England squad he wrote an article in "Spin" magazine stating how much better the atmosphere was under KP than previously under MV. As Samit was never in the England team or even in the squad under MV how did he possibly know that?. He obviously wanted to ingratiate himself to the new captain, by disparaging the old captain. The guy talks utter bull!!
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