I took from it that it’ll depend on how his Australian summer goes and any prospective call-up to the Aussie side which would affect availability.
Seems clear we want him but there’s a lot of cricket for him between now and next April so it’s up to him from there.
On the news, I think it’s more positive signs on the whole, I’m really excited about next season now and I genuinely think we’ll get promoted if we’re able to have a proper season.
Said many times this ‘summer’ that I hoped everyone could be retained, I certainly don’t feel it’s fair to get rid of anyone based on performances - but to me, those who’ve been let go are probably being done for mainly financial reasons, of course cricketing ability/promise will be part of it, but I think all counties will be thinking long and hard about how much money they can afford to spend on their playing staff, I don’t think we’ll be alone in trimming our squad.
You’ve got to be on a wind up........?!
Not quite the whole story though, is it?
Dale Benkenstein anyone? Michael Di Venuto? Otis Gibson?
We’ve had plenty of kolpak players who’ve been a success for/with us and yes, of course we would rather have homegrowns, but we’ve got a pretty decent record over the last twenty years of both producing world class talent AND picking up valuable naturalised Brits.
It’s perfectly fine to have both.
AND, I feel very strongly that actually, we’ve almost always maintained the right balance on this issue. Certainly with respect of the circumstances we’ve found ourselves in.
I remember the early years of kolpaks, they were littered all around the county circuit, some very good players and some absolute dross aswell, but we stuck for a long time with our one overseas man and a side full pretty much of local lads. Problem was, every game it seemed like the oppositions kolpaks were making key contributions and we were being left behind.
The thinking quickly became ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’.
We struck gold with Benks and he’ll go down as one of the most influential players in the clubs history. Others like Thorp and Breese, along with the lads already mentioned helped to propel us right to the top of the tree.
How much of the growth and development of lads like Stoneman, Borthwick, Stokes, Harmison, Mustard, etc, etc, etc were improved exponentially by having role models and mentors like them?
Of course the overarching point is that you have to be practical and pragmatic - we’ve got plenty of local talent in the squad and they’ll get their chance - but sometimes you have to look further afield to strengthen your ranks.
That’s before you consider that in recent times, many players who we produced from local sources have left for what they view as greener grass - those gaps need plugging and players like Mark Stoneman, Keaton Jennings and Scott Borthwick don’t just come along all the time. They’re not ten a penny. Nurturing talent takes a long time and when that talent chooses to leave you there’s no real compensation - either financially or from a squad strengthening point of view.
But these aren't Benkenstein or Michael Di Venuto who were international standard players, but with no path into the side.
I'd rather have Steel than the few lads they've took on personally.
journeyman lads, fair enough if they want them in, but don't do it at the expense of local talent, which seems to have happened here.
