Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

Duane Olivier has signed on as a Kolpak at 27!

Craziness. And quite disappointing.

Very surprised Olivier has even taken up the option of a kolpak contract when his stock has risen to a point where he could get a decent IPL deal in the near future. I suppose Olivier took the kolpak offer whilst the UK is still a member of the EU, though kolpak players have cut short their stays to return to the international game in recent times.

Disappointing for the international game, but Olivier's decision to play county cricket is a by-product of South Africa's selection policy and "the big three" having the Lions share of ICC revenue.

I am surprised more fuss has not been made over the ECB fast tracking Jofra Archer for England eligibility and being touted to make the World Cup squad. That is clearly an attempt to gain an unfair advantage over the other teams, in an area where England have adequate options in the pace bowling department.

Alviro Patterson wrote:I am surprised more fuss has not been made over the ECB fast tracking Jofra Archer for England eligibility and being touted to make the World Cup squad. That is clearly an attempt to gain an unfair advantage over the other teams, in an area where England have adequate options in the pace bowling department.

Maybe a weariness. The habit of feeling offended by England doing the wrong thing.

I've nothing against players available for England making use of the opportunity. I'm all for it. It's the counterbalance, taking them away from the country that made them that I feel a bit queasy about.

Alviro Patterson wrote:Very surprised Olivier has even taken up the option of a kolpak contract when his stock has risen to a point where he could get a decent IPL deal in the near future. I suppose Olivier took the kolpak offer whilst the UK is still a member of the EU, though kolpak players have cut short their stays to return to the international game in recent times. Disappointing for the international game, but Olivier's decision to play county cricket is a by-product of South Africa's selection policy and "the big three" having the Lions share of ICC revenue

Its a simple case of pure economics, then anything to do with internal or worldwide cricket politics. South African average wages are very low, 3-4 times lower than the world average, and this obviously severely impacts the ability for a domestic tournament like the Ram Slam to generate comparative wealth for its players. The pre-defined top wage in the last tournament was about £60,000, which is probably why no single foreign player deemed it worthy enough of their time. I think Gayle once signed for a team, and pulled out before he played a game, saying he would "skip it" #couldntbearsed.

Take Olivier. I read somewhere in the last couple of days that he rejected a special contract offer from the board to keep him from going; it was quoted as being a special one off guaranteed deal for about 80,000£ a year! His reported salary at Yorkshire is £150,000. And that wont stop him taking part in T20 leagues outside of England if he so wants to. Who wouldnt do that?

You say about the IPL, but Colin Ingram and Vijloen both got IPL deals on Kolpak contracts this year. Morne Morkel was in the auction. Olivier can still play in the IPL, in essence he has just chosen to skip international cricket, where his money wouldnt have come with certain guarantees, and instead will go play counties where it is, and where no doubt it comes without the same pressures.

It pretty much makes sense. If counties were paying 7 figure deals to players, would English players be so keen to play tests? I doubt it. Look at the IPL, the ECB essentially had to admit the cant stop guys playing in it.

sussexpob wrote:

Alviro Patterson wrote:Very surprised Olivier has even taken up the option of a kolpak contract when his stock has risen to a point where he could get a decent IPL deal in the near future. I suppose Olivier took the kolpak offer whilst the UK is still a member of the EU, though kolpak players have cut short their stays to return to the international game in recent times. Disappointing for the international game, but Olivier's decision to play county cricket is a by-product of South Africa's selection policy and "the big three" having the Lions share of ICC revenue

Its a simple case of pure economics, then anything to do with internal or worldwide cricket politics. South African average wages are very low, 3-4 times lower than the world average, and this obviously severely impacts the ability for a domestic tournament like the Ram Slam to generate comparative wealth for its players. The pre-defined top wage in the last tournament was about £60,000, which is probably why no single foreign player deemed it worthy enough of their time. I think Gayle once signed for a team, and pulled out before he played a game, saying he would "skip it" #couldntbearsed.

Take Olivier. I read somewhere in the last couple of days that he rejected a special contract offer from the board to keep him from going; it was quoted as being a special one off guaranteed deal for about 80,000£ a year! His reported salary at Yorkshire is £150,000. And that wont stop him taking part in T20 leagues outside of England if he so wants to. Who wouldnt do that?

You say about the IPL, but Colin Ingram and Vijloen both got IPL deals on Kolpak contracts this year. Morne Morkel was in the auction. Olivier can still play in the IPL, in essence he has just chosen to skip international cricket, where his money wouldnt have come with certain guarantees, and instead will go play counties where it is, and where no doubt it comes without the same pressures.

It pretty much makes sense. If counties were paying 7 figure deals to players, would English players be so keen to play tests? I doubt it. Look at the IPL, the ECB essentially had to admit the cant stop guys playing in it.

Regarding kolpaks playing IPL, Colin Ingram last played a County Championship game in September 2017 and Viljoen is no longer a kolpak player after leaving Derbyshire by mutual consent. Kolpaks playing IPL defeats the object of becoming one when they are signed to play during the County Cricket season. Given how Moxon and Gale went ballistic at losing Plunkett and Willey to the IPL at short notice last year, I highly doubt Olivier would tempt the request to play IPL without negotiating a release in his county contract, though is free to play Twenty20 tournaments during the winter.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/47395159

very insightful piece. Must have been a horrific thing to experience

Wow. That was an sobering read.

Not something that should happen in sport. Unfortunately, it wasn't the first, and it probably won't be the last time, either.

I'm hugely critical of Bayliss, but that puts things in perspective, really

stop clocks between overs, standardised cricket balls and free hits for no balls

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/47546347

/

Durhamfootman wrote:stop clocks between overs, standardised cricket balls and free hits for no balls

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/47546347

No balls are not noticed until a wicket is taken and then checked. Unless the third umpire is going to be watching every ball I can't see this working.
No we don't want standardised balls. Most countries use the Kookaburra ball so will we have to start using that ****. Every country should use what ball they like. I'd even like to see two different ball in the same Test. We will use the Dukes and Australia can use the Kookaburra.
As for the stop-clock, it's the umpires job to make sure there is no time wasting in the game.
Also get rid of Warne from the ICC Cricket committee.

Slipstream wrote:/

Durhamfootman wrote:stop clocks between overs, standardised cricket balls and free hits for no balls

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/47546347

No balls are not noticed until a wicket is taken and then checked. Unless the third umpire is going to be watching every ball I can't see this working.
No we don't want standardised balls. Most countries use the Kookaburra ball so will we have to start using that ****. Every country should use what ball they like. I'd even like to see two different ball in the same Test. We will use the Dukes and Australia can use the Kookaburra.
As for the stop-clock, it's the umpires job to make sure there is no time wasting in the game.
Also get rid of Warne from the ICC Cricket committee.

I think the feeling is that the Dukes ball would likely be the default ball except for day/night tests which would use the pink kookaburra

seems to me that they are only talking about test championship matches, and I don't really understand how they will work. I imagine that not all test series will be part of the world test champs and so there will be scope for alternative balls to be used in some series.... although I may be completely wrong in that

no balls and free hits would work in the same way they do for T20, if i understand it correctly. If the umpire signals no ball then a free hit is awarded

I noticed that the big screens in the recent ODI's had a review stop clock appear after every appeal decision. Presumably that was brought in because players were sometimes taking too long to decide and then using up even more time complaining when the umps turned their review request on the basis that too much time had passed. I imagine the thinking is that this will have a similar effect. I can imagine that teams and captains would feel sorely aggrieved (and tempted to protest) if 5 run penalties were added following a series of 'hurry up' warnings without a very visible means of demonstrating that too much time was indeed being taken.

I can see a point to it all, but like you I doubt it will come to much

(I agree about Warne as well)

For some random reason the shirts the players will wear in the Ashes this year, will feature players names and numbers on the back of their shirts...

Promote shirt sales?

Duanne Olivier wants to play cricket for England says Richard Gibson in the Mail. How many years does he have to do to qualify?

Only just moved from 7 years to 3 this year for England. Rest of World was 3 years (had been 4). England had longer term in place to self-police this possibility but decided to come into line with other countries, chiefly for players like Jofra Archer (Brit passport, English dad)