Random Cricket Thread (International Cricket)

[Arthur Crabtree]

Might be a book in it?

[sussexpob]

Not exactly a unique story, is it? Ex-Cambridge graduate who studied "underwear fetishes of 300BC Egyptian Pharaohs" being put in charge of a project he's not qualified to run, teaming up with a private venture capital firm who have simultaneously invested none of their own money in the project but somehow are guaranteed 99% of the profits, bungling through a load of sh*t ideas, false promises, and what not?

Sorry to ruin the story for you, but it ends with 4 Belgian cricket clubs who never asked for any of this stuff being bankrupted, and Mr Cambridge graduate moving on to run a 12 billion pound hedge fund for Uncle George.

[sussexpob]

I can just see it now. Leading CC Ghent into battle v CC Antwerp. On my side, I have my mate from Middlesbrough who was also invited to play solely on the basis he was one of the few English ex-pats to bring his cricket bat when he moved, the son of the Aussie bloke he worked with who no one has seen play but is Australian so "he must be good", 6 Pakistani migrants who were picked generally for the same reason, and a handful of Belgians who mistook the advertisement for players for a lecture on insects, and who were forced by gunpoint to put pads on to make the numbers....

Lining up on a pitch with a 35 meter boundary against Alex Hales.... At least if I am captain I don't have to bowl myself

Of course, Alex Hales is never turning up to play. The venture will be long bankrupt before 30th May...

[Arthur Crabtree]

Not exactly a unique story, is it? Ex-Cambridge graduate who studied "underwear fetishes of 300BC Egyptian Pharaohs" being put in charge of a project he's not qualified to run, teaming up with a private venture capital firm who have simultaneously invested none of their own money in the project but somehow are guaranteed 99% of the profits, bungling through a load of sh*t ideas, false promises, and what not?

Sorry to ruin the story for you, but it ends with 4 Belgian cricket clubs who never asked for any of this stuff being bankrupted, and Mr Cambridge graduate moving on to run a 12 billion pound hedge fund for Uncle George.

Yes, there's your pitch. Should get you a considerable advance. A puckish satire on contemporary mores...

[Arthur Crabtree]

Warm up v Andy's team. They are willing to travel.

[sussexpob]

Warm up v Andy's team. They are willing to travel.

Not sure English people have fond memories of their holidays in random Flemish fields....!! I would say we could play for a bet, loser drinks 10 triple karmeliet's if they lose... but my smoggie friend would start misfielding on purpose.

[sussexpob]

Zak Crawley signs a deal for Kent. I take it this means his international career is over?

[andy]

Interesting...didn't put 2 + 2 together assumed they had some sort of county deal in the background anyway?

[sussexpob]

Interesting...didn't put 2 + 2 together assumed they had some sort of county deal in the background anyway?

The central contract turns them into full ECB employees, and completely invalidates any parallel county deal they have. The ECB then decides where and when they play, and the player in question just needs to be officially listed in the squad of the team in question. IIRC, I read for instance that since the multi-year deals came in, Ben Stokes hasn't got a contract at all with Durham, it expired in 2023 or 2024.

As Crawley is playing under a central contract anyway, the deal he signed at Kent is meaningless for this season. In this way, its an entirely symbolic commitment from both parties, one that says to me the county are moving to retain him once his ECB contract is not renewed.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Crawley has just started playing in the England 50 over side again. So after the Ashes his role actually expanded. So signing a county contract seems a mixed message.

[Durhamfootman]

Ben Stokes hasn't got a contract at all with Durham, it expired in 2023 or 2024.

hmm..... news to me

[Durhamfootman]

although I approve of that. It presumably means that Durham won't be saddled with an enormous playing salary for a year in the unlikely event that Stokes returns to Durham when he eventually loses his central contract

I wonder if the same is true of Woody?

[Durhamfootman]

must be, because the last contract news item I can find on the Durham website was a 2 year extension for him back in November 2022

[andy]

I would have thought when he's finished with England that would be him done with cricket?? Because he won't retire due to not wanting to play anymore it will be fitness permitting would have thought

[Durhamfootman]

almost certainly. There aren't many players who return to captain their county after a long international career, the way Colly did for us