Kolpak Sensationalism: Looks Can Be Deceiving
November 6, 2009 by Alex Homer
If Monty Panesar moves to Sussex, Ollie Rayner, William Beer or Rory Hamilton-Brown is going to bowl less overs crucial to their development. Meanwhile Northamptonshire prefer Kolpak Nicky Boje as their left-arm spinner for 2010. So what has changed with these New Home Office laws?
Whoever subbed the page at BBC Sport, describing the ECB’s overseas player battle victory, sensationalised a pretty uninspiring tit bit.
The most significant shake-up is Kent’s Twenty20 specialist Ryan McLaren (pictured) voluntarily forfeiting his Kolpak status, after his call-up to South Africa’s one-day squad to face Zimbabwe and England.
Derbyshire’s Charl Langeveldt has done the same by the way.
Under the new ‘restrictions’ Michael Di Venuto and Dale Benkenstein will remain at Durham next year, having held UK work permits for the last four years, as will Murray Goodwin at Sussex while Corey Collymore also qualifies.
Jacques Rudolph is covered for 2010, having played Tests in 2006, and indefinitely thereafter as he will have held a UK visa for four years by the end of next season.
While the county that really rocked the boat, Northants, will keep Andrew Hall and the aforementioned Boje on their books just as fellow South African, Andre Nel, has two years left on his Surrey deal, as does his on-field German alter ego Gunther.
In fact there will be very little change in the short-term.
Sussex’s Dwayne Smith is the most notable Kolpak casualty. Having not represented the West Indies since March 2006, Smith no longer qualifies, though he may still return as the Sharks’ second overseas player, permitted for T20 only.
Ironically Glamorgan, who famously refused to jump on the import bandwagon (or cross-country freight train) till 2008, preferring to cultivate home-grown talent, will most likely suffer worst as Garnett Kruger is forced to leave, having never played Tests.
The more things change then…
The law change suggests the wish for more England-qualified players. As things stand, ‘established’ Kolpaks will remain and recent Test players willing to forego international recognition, for short-term gain in the UK, can arrive. Enter West Indian Daren Powell at Lancashire.
In political terms the ruling is ‘piecemeal’ because it does not offend counties reliant on imported players, and pays lip service to the idea of a Championship heaving with English talent.
In truth it is fazing out Kolpaks gradually because they do raise the standard. Why tell it any differently?
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