Surrey Manager Believes in County Changes

As a result of the IPL, the Indian Premier League, Surrey’s manager Alan Butcher believes the current system in England needs to change.

Butcher believes that there is too a big a gap between Tests and the county game, and thinks that a reigional four day competition could decrease that gap. This would only be played by four-six teams.

There are problems with this idea. It could restrict loyalty to counties as players aim to achieve not for their county but so they can become a part in the regional competition. It adds even more cricket to an already packed county schedule. If it is believed a competition similar to the IPL is needed, the fifty over or fourty over leagues would have to be removed.

Butcher believes that the Test side would be picked from the regional teams. This could be a bad idea. Players could be lost in the county championship with no way of ever emerging into the Test side. The gap between Tests and county cannot be as large as people believe – cricketers like Alastair Cook have emerged and succeeded.

County Players Hope

Duncan Fletcher had his favourites. Chris Read most notably suffered as a result (and because he was more of a wicketkeeper than a wicketkeeper-batsman). Even when they didn’t perform, Fletcher backed the same players. Who could forget Ashley Giles playing in the 06/07 Ashes series when Monty had been performing perfectly. With the exception of a few, for example Paul Nixon, it seemed as though many county players would never fulfill ther England hopes in an England Test team. The ODI team is different, as many were tried, such as Ed Joyce.

Things look different under Peter Moores. His biggest success in team selection so far is easily the addition of Ryan Sidebottom.

Sidebottom played one lonely Test before his reintroduction in the 2007 season, and he must be one of the first names on the team sheet. Time and time again he has performed consistently and expertly, most recently in New Zealand where he rightly won Man of the Series.

So, now, finally, county players are hopefully beginning to believe that they too can be part of the England team. Bowlers especially should be working hard to perform well this season, with Steve Harmision being incredibly wayward, and finally being dropped as a result. It seems as though Moores wants his bowlers to perform, and will not choose players because he knows them, but because they perform.

The dreams of many county players could now be realised.

Northants go Overseas afterall…

Northamptonshire have decided to have an overseas player afterall, despite saying they wouldn’t. However, after they were not able to sign Andrew Hall and Johann van der Wath, they have signed South African seam bowler Johann Louw. Hall and van der Wath were not signed due to their signing with the ICL.

ECB faces problems from the BCCI

The ECB (English Cricket Board) is facing problems from the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India).

The PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) has given both Mushtaq Ahmed and Rana Naved permission to play for Sussex and Yorkshire by issuing No Objection Certificates, but the BCCI does not want this permission to be granted as they both signed for the ICL. The ICL is unoffical, whereas the IPL is run by the BCCI.

Naturally, the BCCI is trying to protect its own by trying to prevent players signing up with the ICL. However, although I am not a fan of either competitions, I do wonder that if Ahmed and Naved are not able to play for their counties, if it is another sign of the BCCI being the most influential cricket board, with their opinions being the most important in the world of cricket.

It is of course money that is persuading them to make the decision to protest to the ECB.

The ECB has in fact already banned some ICL players from playing for their counties, including Hamish Marshall and Wavell Hinds.

 If Sussex and Yorkshire play Ahmed and Naved, they may not be allowed to play in the Champions League in October. This could result in a loss of money for each club, and they will not want to miss out on the opportunity. However, Sussex will also not want to lose Ahmed who is vitally important to their success.

What is more important? The county competition or the Champions League? Time will tell, but I know which one I hope Sussex, Yorkshire and the ECB will choose.

England Players for Counties

Finally, England players are allowed to return to the counties, something Duncan Fletcher rarely let happen.

Most importantly, Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard will return to Durham and Yorkshire to play the start of the county season. This is a relief after their wayward bowling in the first Test in New Zealand, and hopefully they will start firing again. If not though, England have good bowlers in the developing Stuart Broad and the highly successful Ryan Sidebottom who has impressed since his introduction to the England team.

Nottinghamshire have been rightly praised for Sidebottom’s improvement by Sidebottom’s dad, Arnie, as well as then-captain Stephen Fleming.

Michael Vaughan who had an unsuccessful New Zealand tour will also be available for Yorkshire, and Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen will return to Durham and Hampshire in May. In April, Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell will play for their counties, but Alastair Cook, James Anderson, Monty Panesar, Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad have a month off.

Glamorgan Doubts Gillespie

Glamorgan’s manager, Matthew Maynard, is doubtful that Glamorgan will see Jason Gillespie bowling for them this season, since his signing with the ICL (Indian Cricket League).

Glamorgan is waiting for a No Objection Certificate from Cricket Australia, who have said that since Gillespie retired from both international and domestic cricket in Australia, he is no longer their concern.

This will worry Glamorgan, so have also signed Matthew Wood, Adam Shantry, and Middlesex’s Jamie Dalrymple.

Relief for Sussex, but not for Surrey

Sussex should be very relieved that top wicket taker Mushtaq Ahmed has been allowed to play for them during the 2008 season. Although Sussex did say that they would be able to cope without him, he has played a pivotal role in their success.

 However, Surrey are not so hapy, as Pakistan will not allow Mohammad Asif to play for them due to an elbow injury.

Warne leaves Hampshire

Shane Warne has retired from Hampshire, and to be honest, I think it’s the best thing he could have done.

 If he had stayed, he would have returned in August and suddenly the team would have been under a new captain. This would have been awful for the team who would have had any success under another captain. I think the decision was made for the best of the team, and I hope Warne succeeds in his poker and at the IPL.