Pedro Collins joins Surrey as a Kolpak player

Kolpak can go suck eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another potentially good Windies medium fast bowler goes down the drain due to WICB incompetence.

I will remember him for his terrific spells on the ODI tour of Australia in 2005.

It's a complete joke. The counties agree to 1 overseas player per team and then they go and find any which way they can to cram more overseas pro's in.

The solution would be for the ECB to stop give them all that money to pi$$ up against the wall on Kolpak players. But since the ECB is run by the counties...

I must admit if our regional teams got flooded with aging pros who couldn't represent the West Indies, I'd be pretty ticked off.Pedro has clearly taken the money rather than waiting for the WICB selectors to notice him.Its a real shame for English and West indies cricket, who both lose out IMO.

WIFAN, whats the verdict there about Chris Jordan?

Are West Indians aware of the fact he's playing for Surrey and might represent England?

Yeah we know about Jordan, there was an article in the press saying he still hadn't made his mind up about representing England or West Indies.

Most people are resigned to losing him to England tbh, just another one lost to the system.

Good luck to him wither way, he's obviously extremely talented.

Theres a few of us on the forum who hope he represents the WI to be fair, it's a disgrace that talented players like that are lost to the WI system

Well thats good to hear.

Jordan has spent a lot of time in England though, he has learnt his skills in England so I wouldnt be annoyed if he chose England.

Things like this are alwasy likely to happen in the Caribbean.

Wngland may yet receive a few Anguillans into the system. Anguillans hold British passports of course, so the option is always open to them.

Omari Banks has had successful trials with Somerset and some oter counties, and a 16 year old pacer bowling at 86 mph is rumoured to be on his way to the UK.

JKLever wrote:It's a complete joke. The counties agree to 1 overseas player per team and then they go and find any which way they can to cram more overseas pro's in.

Middx have refused to get any more Kolpaks.

The Evil Oval Empire hate English cricket.

My sentiments exactly.

Slurrey desperate in their quest to stay afloat as BritVic review future sponsorship arrangements.

It would be ironic if Collins keeps Chris Jordan out of the Surrey side next season.

Ironic is an understatement and a half, it's utterly pitiful that Kolpak players are depriving young England-qualified players a chance of playing first team cricket.

The ECB should offer the counties a financial bonus if they produce an England player. Or do they already?

Henry wrote:The ECB should offer the counties a financial bonus if they produce an England player. Or do they already?

Counties get more if they have more England qualified players in their team.
Obviously the financial incentives are not enough...

Actually, you would think the allocation of a test away from the Oval for a year might make them think about what they're doing

Surrey has some pretty influential members (Like John Major) who would never let that happen.

Surely having 20 of them is enough be going on with. Besides being a second division club must put a bit of a squeeze on the finances.

JKLever wrote:Actually, you would think the allocation of a test away from the Oval for a year might make them think about what they're doing

Ok hang on. Maybe I misread. Is the Oval missing out on a test in the next couple of years? Havent checked the schedule.

Eric Air Emu wrote:

Surely having 20 of them is enough be going on with. Besides being a second division club must put a bit of a squeeze on the finances.

Aye, you'd know from recent experience ... and almost this year too!

But seriously, this Kolpak thing is rerally getting bloody silly.
Two maybe three years down the road the ECB might well regret endorsing it when England once again hit the skids ... bad enough right now, struggling to keep afloat.

Glad to see Middsx taking the initiative

Merlin wrote:

Eric Air Emu wrote:

Surely having 20 of them is enough be going on with. Besides being a second division club must put a bit of a squeeze on the finances.

Aye, you'd know from recent experience ... and almost this year too!

But seriously, this Kolpak thing is rerally getting bloody silly.
Two maybe three years down the road the ECB might well regret endorsing it when England once again hit the skids ... bad enough right now, struggling to keep afloat.

Glad to see Middsx taking the initiative

They can get worse?

Merlin wrote:

Eric Air Emu wrote:

Surely having 20 of them is enough be going on with. Besides being a second division club must put a bit of a squeeze on the finances.

Aye, you'd know from recent experience ... and almost this year too!

But seriously, this Kolpak thing is rerally getting bloody silly.
Two maybe three years down the road the ECB might well regret endorsing it when England once again hit the skids ... bad enough right now, struggling to keep afloat.

Glad to see Middsx taking the initiative

They don't give a stuff. The counties are a classic case of the tail wagging the dog. They keep getting all that lovely lolly from the grounds being full for the tests and ODIs, they get all that dough from Sky and the sponsors, and they parcel it up amongst themselves and slap each other on the back for their brilliance.

Oh, and just to bring in another of my own personal rants, despite their saying it was the whole reason for the Sky deal, that money STILL doesn't go to the clubs as they promised it would.

TBF I don't think the ECB can do anything about it.

PearlJ wrote:TBF I don't think the ECB can do anything about it.

Of course they can. Pay the counties based on the number of England Test players they produce. They can't stop them taking on Kolpaks but they can stop rewarding them for it. The current "incentive" is negligible.

Cut off all central funding for a county that produces no players in the England teams through the age groups and the full side, and they'd soon be falling over themselves to generate England players. Right now they don't care.

Well, we don't have any Kolpaks. Nuh. Fortunately, we have Huss II to do the job of ten.

Shoeshine wrote:

PearlJ wrote:TBF I don't think the ECB can do anything about it.

Of course they can. Pay the counties based on the number of England Test players they produce. They can't stop them taking on Kolpaks but they can stop rewarding them for it. The current "incentive" is negligible.

Cut off all central funding for a county that produces no players in the England teams through the age groups and the full side, and they'd soon be falling over themselves to generate England players. Right now they don't care.

Having Kolpaks in your team doesn't stop you producing England players. Look at Durham, they have about 4 Kolpaks in their squad yet they have numerous players in the England team. Or even Yorks. Or Hants.