On Friday, the County Season gets going again after what seemed like an age of international cricket in the meantime. Every year, bloggers come out and put forward some names of some people who they think will rip it up in the domestic leagues, and more often then not they get it right. Well, not this year, as I'm sticking my oar in. Who have I gone for? Well, read on...
Young Talent
These boys haven't played a lot of cricket, but have done pretty well in what they've done so far. Keep an eye out for these kids, they could go a long way...
Toby Roland-Jones - Middlesex: Toblerone had a phenominal end to last year, as he helped to keep Middlesex in the doldrums of Division Two. Making his FC debut mid-season, young fast bowler TRJ came from nowhere to end the season with a sub-20 bowling average, with the highlight a 5/41 against Surrey where he blew their middle order away in the space of only a few overs. While Toby doesn't have the pace or bounce of previous Middlesex fast bowling protegee Steven Finn, Roland-Jones gets a very appreciable movement from the seam, and given the right conditions, a bit of hoopy swing as well. Roland-Jones had been Middlesex's little secret, but after excelling after being selected in the MCC Champions Game in Abu Dhabi this is no longer the case. While there may be a "second season syndrome", I still back Roland-Jones to go on and take just as many wickets this year, especially given the Division Two opposition.
Jos Buttler - Somerset: Buttler rose to prominence in the T20 as a big-hitting slogger, but he's more then that. Yes, he can hit the ball a long way, but Buttler will want to prove that he is suited to the longer format as well. A top CC score of 144 at an ever-increasing average of 33 (from only 14 matches) suggests he has his head switched on for four-day cricket, and while he may not keep wicket thanks to Craig Kieswetter, Buttler has that string to his bow as well. While he will want to prove himself in the CC, his One Day and T20 stats can't be argued with, and with 4 fifties at an average of 49 in List A cricket (with an astonishing strike rate of 159), it won't be long before Buttler is knocking on the door of national recognition. Could be a big year for the 20 year old from Taunton.
Danny Briggs - Hampshire: Like Buttler, Briggs came to wider attention thanks to his exploits in winning the T20 last year for Hampshire. Only 19, Briggs has spent the winter away with the England Lions, and the left-arm spinner will hope to make his mark in the First Class arena. The stats look good - already sub 30 with the ball, and with a best bowling of 6/45, Briggs can certainly play. The only concern is that Imran Tahir will be playing for Hampshire this year, which may leave Briggs out of the team. I can only hope he gets enough games, because this lad can bowl.
Keep an eye out for the other categories...
Showing posts with label Imran Tahir. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Imran Tahir. Show all posts
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Monday, 28 February 2011
National Identity Part Three
OK, third time lucky. I've already written two blogs in a matter of minutes about nationality and such, and missed the point I wanted to make. So this time, I'm definitely going to mention it.
In doing my research for the one of the earlier blogs about George Dockrell (yes, I do research sometimes), I stumbled across this. "Birth Country No Bar at the CWC". I suggest you read it, as it's far more interesting than anything you'd read on this site.
The nations at the World Cup can be (and have been, many times) split into two camps - the Big Boys and the Minnows. Players will want to play for the Big Boys, because it increases their chance of success, and for associate players, increases their chance of playing in tests. (As well as a heap of other reasons, seen in the second of my three-parter) And every nation will want to best players at their disposal to play for them.
So Big Boys England have recruited Trott and Pietersen (as well as Irish Joyce and Morgan turning out for them as well). South Africa have got Imran Tahir in. And New Zealand got Grant Elliot (must be gutted that Tendulkar doesn't have a second-cousin in Dunedin). They are able to attract players who are good enough to be playing internationally for their nations of birth for whatever reason to play for them.
The Minnows, however, have it differently. As seen with the Morgan / Joyce / Dockrell issue, the associates will struggle to keep hold of their best and brightest. So they will look to find anyone with even the slightest heritage of the nation, or the slightest inclination to live in their country for an allotted time. Hence the Indian and Pakistani Canadian side, South African heavy Dutch, and antipodean Irish team.
While I, and plenty others don't like it, it's in the ICC rules for players to move around, so countries are well within their rights to get in the foreign legion. It shouldn't be, but that's by the by.
Of course it must be difficult for Ireland and the rest to see their best players being lured away by the bright lights of test cricket. So with smaller player pools and their best local talents being lost, no wonder they're turning overseas. Add on top of that the advantages that having good experienced imports can bring.
Cricket Ireland's Barry Chambers said
And Dutch Ed van Neirop said players from overseas had lifted the standard of cricket "enormously".
While this could be stopping local talent from emerging, it could also be improving the skills of the guys around and helping them compete. It's a difficult situation. The Minnows want to keep their best players, and their best players want to play for the Big Boys.
There are three groups of adopted nation-ites. Group 1 - the foreign national brought in to improve a side (see here Trott, Pietersen, Trent Johnston). Group 2 - the associate player who wants more (see here Morgan, Joyce). And Group 3 (the "have your cake and eat it" bunch) - the guys from the big nations who aren't picked for their country, but try and get picked at home. (see here Dirk Nannes playing for Holland in the 2009 T20 World Cup before playing for Australia). Were I in charge of the ICC, I'd immediately outlaw all of 1, 2 and 3, but sadly I'm unlikely to become president in the next few years, so the situation will continue. The foreign legion in cricket is a growing problem, and ultimately devalues the notion of "inter-nation" cricket.
I don't really know what to say about this anymore, I've been writing about players applying for new passports solidly for a few hours now, and I have nothing else to add. So there's my conclusion - inter-nation cricket should be between the people of one nation and another. Not people of various countries all wearing one shirt, facing off against a team of players for other disparate countries wearing another.
In doing my research for the one of the earlier blogs about George Dockrell (yes, I do research sometimes), I stumbled across this. "Birth Country No Bar at the CWC". I suggest you read it, as it's far more interesting than anything you'd read on this site.
The nations at the World Cup can be (and have been, many times) split into two camps - the Big Boys and the Minnows. Players will want to play for the Big Boys, because it increases their chance of success, and for associate players, increases their chance of playing in tests. (As well as a heap of other reasons, seen in the second of my three-parter) And every nation will want to best players at their disposal to play for them.
So Big Boys England have recruited Trott and Pietersen (as well as Irish Joyce and Morgan turning out for them as well). South Africa have got Imran Tahir in. And New Zealand got Grant Elliot (must be gutted that Tendulkar doesn't have a second-cousin in Dunedin). They are able to attract players who are good enough to be playing internationally for their nations of birth for whatever reason to play for them.
The Minnows, however, have it differently. As seen with the Morgan / Joyce / Dockrell issue, the associates will struggle to keep hold of their best and brightest. So they will look to find anyone with even the slightest heritage of the nation, or the slightest inclination to live in their country for an allotted time. Hence the Indian and Pakistani Canadian side, South African heavy Dutch, and antipodean Irish team.
While I, and plenty others don't like it, it's in the ICC rules for players to move around, so countries are well within their rights to get in the foreign legion. It shouldn't be, but that's by the by.
Of course it must be difficult for Ireland and the rest to see their best players being lured away by the bright lights of test cricket. So with smaller player pools and their best local talents being lost, no wonder they're turning overseas. Add on top of that the advantages that having good experienced imports can bring.
Cricket Ireland's Barry Chambers said
"In Ireland's case, the players have helped to take Irish cricket to a new level... The players brought a professionalism to the game which has rubbed off on the younger players coming through. Ireland keep producing real gems - Eoin Morgan before he switched to England".
And Dutch Ed van Neirop said players from overseas had lifted the standard of cricket "enormously".
While this could be stopping local talent from emerging, it could also be improving the skills of the guys around and helping them compete. It's a difficult situation. The Minnows want to keep their best players, and their best players want to play for the Big Boys.
There are three groups of adopted nation-ites. Group 1 - the foreign national brought in to improve a side (see here Trott, Pietersen, Trent Johnston). Group 2 - the associate player who wants more (see here Morgan, Joyce). And Group 3 (the "have your cake and eat it" bunch) - the guys from the big nations who aren't picked for their country, but try and get picked at home. (see here Dirk Nannes playing for Holland in the 2009 T20 World Cup before playing for Australia). Were I in charge of the ICC, I'd immediately outlaw all of 1, 2 and 3, but sadly I'm unlikely to become president in the next few years, so the situation will continue. The foreign legion in cricket is a growing problem, and ultimately devalues the notion of "inter-nation" cricket.
I don't really know what to say about this anymore, I've been writing about players applying for new passports solidly for a few hours now, and I have nothing else to add. So there's my conclusion - inter-nation cricket should be between the people of one nation and another. Not people of various countries all wearing one shirt, facing off against a team of players for other disparate countries wearing another.
Wanting A New Country.
Ahead of the England - Ireland game, stories like this were always going to happen. At one stage, we could have seen Eoin Morgan line up for Ireland, 4 years after lining up for Ireland against them. And we will see Ed Joyce bat for the Irish, 4 years after playing for his adopted nation.
I've spoken literally days ago about players representing nations that aren't their own, and a bit longer ago about players chopping and changing their nation depending on the path their careers have taken.
And once more, with the big clash tomorrow between the respective "Rest of the World XIs" (harsh) the issue of playing for a different country than ones passport suggests has reared it's ugly head once more.
George Dockrell, the 81 year old 18 year old (because he has grey hair), who is Irish, has come out and said that he fancies playing for England. This is the same George Dockrell who is about to take on that said England side tomorrow. Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em...
...
..
.
That would be quite a simplistic place (and a nice snappy ending) on which to finish this blog. But I want to say something more profound (and controversial) about this issue. Eoin Morgan should not be playing for England. Ed Joyce should never have played for England. And George Dockrell should never play for England.
The whole issue of nationality in cricket is a pretty murky one, and we've seen players like Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Craig Kieswetter (to name but four) play for England recently after previously being bona fide South Africans. We've also had Aussie Brendan Nash playing for the West Indies, Pakistani Imran Tahir and Zim Paul Harris represent South Africa, and Saffer Grant Elliot getting games for New Zealand. And that's just to name a small example from the test playing nations. And doesn't include the Strauss / Prior brigade of being born in a country but growing up somewhere else. Or the associates.
That's one side of the coin. The guys who for one reason or another, whether political, personal or cricketing grounds decide to chance their arm in another country, apply for a passport, and hope for selection. But the other side are the guys who play for one nation, realise that they'd prefer to play for another team, and move on. I'm looking at Dirk Nannes, Eoin Morgan and Ed Joyce. Ryan ten Doeschate and Alexei Kervezee have both come out in the last week fluttering their eyes at other nations, and now Dockrell's said he fancies a move away.
What a remarkable lack of loyalty to the nation you're representing on the biggest stage in world Cricket! Yes, I can see there are clear advantages to playing for South Africa ahead of Holland, or England ahead of Ireland, but as soon as a player pulls on the jersey of one nation, that should be their nation. While the ICC's laws about qualification for a nation do need to be reviewed (the large amount of players I listed as examples off the top of my head is testament to that), they certainly need to outlaw the flip-flopping of players picking and choosing which passport they fancy using at any given time. Were I an Irish fan (by which I mean a 100% one rather than being a plastic Paddy), I'd be livid at Dockrell for basically coming out and shunning my nation, but I'm afraid they'd be more resigned to the fact that their brightest talents will always leave them.
Part One
I've spoken literally days ago about players representing nations that aren't their own, and a bit longer ago about players chopping and changing their nation depending on the path their careers have taken.
And once more, with the big clash tomorrow between the respective "Rest of the World XIs" (harsh) the issue of playing for a different country than ones passport suggests has reared it's ugly head once more.
George Dockrell, the 81 year old 18 year old (because he has grey hair), who is Irish, has come out and said that he fancies playing for England. This is the same George Dockrell who is about to take on that said England side tomorrow. Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em...
...
..
.
That would be quite a simplistic place (and a nice snappy ending) on which to finish this blog. But I want to say something more profound (and controversial) about this issue. Eoin Morgan should not be playing for England. Ed Joyce should never have played for England. And George Dockrell should never play for England.
The whole issue of nationality in cricket is a pretty murky one, and we've seen players like Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Craig Kieswetter (to name but four) play for England recently after previously being bona fide South Africans. We've also had Aussie Brendan Nash playing for the West Indies, Pakistani Imran Tahir and Zim Paul Harris represent South Africa, and Saffer Grant Elliot getting games for New Zealand. And that's just to name a small example from the test playing nations. And doesn't include the Strauss / Prior brigade of being born in a country but growing up somewhere else. Or the associates.
That's one side of the coin. The guys who for one reason or another, whether political, personal or cricketing grounds decide to chance their arm in another country, apply for a passport, and hope for selection. But the other side are the guys who play for one nation, realise that they'd prefer to play for another team, and move on. I'm looking at Dirk Nannes, Eoin Morgan and Ed Joyce. Ryan ten Doeschate and Alexei Kervezee have both come out in the last week fluttering their eyes at other nations, and now Dockrell's said he fancies a move away.
What a remarkable lack of loyalty to the nation you're representing on the biggest stage in world Cricket! Yes, I can see there are clear advantages to playing for South Africa ahead of Holland, or England ahead of Ireland, but as soon as a player pulls on the jersey of one nation, that should be their nation. While the ICC's laws about qualification for a nation do need to be reviewed (the large amount of players I listed as examples off the top of my head is testament to that), they certainly need to outlaw the flip-flopping of players picking and choosing which passport they fancy using at any given time. Were I an Irish fan (by which I mean a 100% one rather than being a plastic Paddy), I'd be livid at Dockrell for basically coming out and shunning my nation, but I'm afraid they'd be more resigned to the fact that their brightest talents will always leave them.
Part One
Friday, 25 February 2011
"Saffers, Saffers everywhere..."
I am lucky enough (or unlucky enough) to be in South Africa throughout this World Cup. While there are some obvious advantages (weather, for one), it does mean I have to put up with the pro-Protea drivel ahead of the inevitable semi-final choke.
Part of the "South Africa is the greatest" hype machine is the "everyone else is rubbish and cheating and don't deserve to win and won't win because South Africa is the greatest" angle. That includes badmouthing all the other teams, by pointing out that they're fulled with Protea rejects. So aren't as good as the real deal.
Take this article as an example. Not content with finding every person who's ever been to Southern Africa, and shoehorning them in as traitors, they're also backhandedly getting their excuses in early. If England win, South Africa win because of Trott, Strauss, Prior and KP. If Kenya win, it's because Jonty Rhodes is their fielding coach. And if Australia win it's because they wear green and gold too.
This general South African feeling of annoyance that their boys are turning out in the blues, greens, reds and blacks of the other nations is not without a slight amount of hypocrisy. I don't know much about Peter Davies, but reading his next blog, he speaks eloquently about how well Imran Tahir bowled. Pakistan born and bred Imran Tahir. The elephant in the room.
I can understand South African frustration that for one reason or another, some of the best players in world cricket have slipped through their fingers. And as an England fan who's seen Pietersen, Trott, Kieswetter and Lumb play this year (don't forget Eoin Morgan... but that's another story) I have accepted that there will be some sniping and bitterness from the South African cricket fraternity. But now, on behalf of world cricket, I'm humbly asking you to quietly stop. The moment Imran Tahir kissed the badge on his chest was the moment the "imported cricketers are ruining the game" argument lost all it's credability.
So no moaning at Ryan ten Doeschate that he went orange instead of green, OK?
Part of the "South Africa is the greatest" hype machine is the "everyone else is rubbish and cheating and don't deserve to win and won't win because South Africa is the greatest" angle. That includes badmouthing all the other teams, by pointing out that they're fulled with Protea rejects. So aren't as good as the real deal.
Take this article as an example. Not content with finding every person who's ever been to Southern Africa, and shoehorning them in as traitors, they're also backhandedly getting their excuses in early. If England win, South Africa win because of Trott, Strauss, Prior and KP. If Kenya win, it's because Jonty Rhodes is their fielding coach. And if Australia win it's because they wear green and gold too.
This general South African feeling of annoyance that their boys are turning out in the blues, greens, reds and blacks of the other nations is not without a slight amount of hypocrisy. I don't know much about Peter Davies, but reading his next blog, he speaks eloquently about how well Imran Tahir bowled. Pakistan born and bred Imran Tahir. The elephant in the room.
I can understand South African frustration that for one reason or another, some of the best players in world cricket have slipped through their fingers. And as an England fan who's seen Pietersen, Trott, Kieswetter and Lumb play this year (don't forget Eoin Morgan... but that's another story) I have accepted that there will be some sniping and bitterness from the South African cricket fraternity. But now, on behalf of world cricket, I'm humbly asking you to quietly stop. The moment Imran Tahir kissed the badge on his chest was the moment the "imported cricketers are ruining the game" argument lost all it's credability.
So no moaning at Ryan ten Doeschate that he went orange instead of green, OK?
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