There may be troubles ahead: England selection issues.

[Dr Cricket]

Thanks BN, but being called an idiot is the least of my worries, and I am more than capable of fighting my own battles.

If we want to take this downtown to street level, I am perfectly happy with that. I dont float like a butterfly, but I sting like a bulldozer landing on you from height.....

Just to be clear I wasn't talking about you, it was some other poster, it was during one of the warm up games in 2014 or something.
apparently it was BCCI being annoying for banning lions in india and it was BCCI stopping players in County cricket even though it is impossible for bcci to pick 20 players and have them play a county season considering the counties and ECB can't actually do that.

[Dr Cricket]

Bhavesh it is tiring to have to constantly remind you about forum etiquette.

Not everyone is an idiot because they have a difference of opinion to you.

You would be best placed to read through things before you post.

Sorry about that I get really passionate when I have arguments and disagreements.

[Dr Cricket]

Surely the blame should go to the England board or players for not playing domestic cricket in South Africa.

Be nice to see how you can explain that using Indian, Pakistani or Sri Lanka or West Indies players but of course you can't.

India's last great team basically all had time playing in county cricket. Pakistan up until very recently had a huge heritage of playing in England. All of Sri Lanka's best players had long stints in county cricket.And name me a single legend from the Windies that hasnt played county cricket for at least a season. I literally couldnt name one player who didnt and played 10 tests for the Windies.

really people should stop thinking what happens in county cricket in 1970/80/90 and even early 00s, county cricket is so different now, County cricket can never be a world cricket finishing school with the current rules in place.

The fact Viv richards, joel garner etc playing seasons of season of county cricket as nothing to do with the current crop of WI players and really quite laughable to say because they had the opportunity to play county cricket that future WI players will do as well, especially when the evidence suggest they won't.
Think Chanderpaul might be the last WI players to play county cricket as an West Indian.

Not sure I can name more than 3 players that played more than 10 test for west indies in the last 5 yrs that played county cricket.

[sussexpob]

Not sure I can name more than 3 players that played more than 10 test for west indies in the last 5 yrs that played county cricket.

Chris Gayle has played for Worcstershire and Somerset
Darren Sammy played for Hampshire this year
Kemar Roach also played for Worcestershire a couple of years ago
Jerome Taylor played for Leicestershire
Shiv Chanderpaul (who retired in that period) played everywhere
Ram Sarwan also played for Leicestershire at least, maybe had a spell at Glamorgan or Gloucestershire too (cant remember which)

[Dr Cricket]

Not sure I can name more than 3 players that played more than 10 test for west indies in the last 5 yrs that played county cricket.

Chris Gayle has played for Worcstershire and Somerset
Darren Sammy played for Hampshire this year
Kemar Roach also played for Worcestershire a couple of years ago
Jerome Taylor played for Leicestershire
Shiv Chanderpaul (who retired in that period) played everywhere
Ram Sarwan also played for Leicestershire at least, maybe had a spell at Glamorgan or Gloucestershire too (cant remember which)

When did Gayle play a first class game in the last 5 yrs in england for a county same with Sammy.
Anyway you named 6 players nothing like the 15-20 that an A tour would benefit and quite a lot of them are established or old players.

Sammy only signed for T20 blast.

[sussexpob]

As for the point about there only being 18 spots for non-English players. Sorry, but I think you need to do more research Bhav.....

Id probably hazard a guess that there is an average of say 5-6 players per squad that are not English born. The majority of Aussies, just like Saffers, come on loopholes through UK passports from grandparents or parents. In fact, the Aussie domestic competition rules were changed in 2014 because the counties were stealing so many Aussie players on this method. Previously a player playing in England as a local would be considered overseas player in Aus, but they redefined what overseas player meant in order that players didnt have to pick, and that more Aussies stayed playing locally.

They call it the Robson Rule, after Sam Robson, who was born in Australia and could have represented them,but he was forced to choose while playing in both and ended up preferring England.

Middlesex in general are a good example. Their only overseas player is actually a UK passport holder, but as Voges continues to hold an Aussie central contract he has to be overseas. When he retires from tests, Middlesex wont have an overseas player, but actually have a lot of EU or dual passport holders.

Yorkshire are another one. They had one overseas player who played only two matches this year. Yet they also had Jake Lehmann and Travis Head play CC matches as local players despite being committed to getting in the Aussie side. Yorkshire could have given a contract to an overseas player for 14 matches.

Some teams didnt even have ones, others had overseas players registered that didnt need to be (Like Klinger, who rather than fill the paperwork in for his Hungarian passport clearance simply went as an overseas player).

Plenty of spaces left for players, they either arent wanted or dont want to come. And before you mention SL players that arent getting contracts, remember that in the English season this year SL toured England May to June, were in Ireland before that, and had a test series at home with Australia.....none of their players were available.

[Dr Cricket]

Seriously Sussexpop how the hell does that help Pakistan, Sri lanka and India.
even you admit that you don't understand why pakistan or Sri lankan players don't play county cricket.

Again how does this help india, Sri lanka or pakistan.

[Dr Cricket]

As for the point about there only being 18 spots for non-English players. Sorry, but I think you need to do more research Bhav.....

you seriously knew what i meant.
Also where were the sri lankan players in 2015, 2014 after the may series, 2013 or 2012 etc you get the drift or the pakistani players in 2015 or start of 2016 where Younis khan, Misbah and many pakistani players were looking for a deal.

[Dr Cricket]

Really isn't hard to understand that by not giving A tours in return is so unfair on teams.
Anyway ECB and their players are the one losing out considering they don't get first class experience in India or Australia against strong teams.
not sure Club Cricket in Australia is the best preparation for an Ashes test in Australia.
And most or all the boards are now asking for Reciprocal deals, so England need to have more of the A tours in the english summer if the lions are to play in the winter abroad.
unless of course they are happy to only have training camps in Loughbourough, UAE and pretoria.
With no game time with players from other countries.

[sussexpob]

Where were the Sri Lankan and Pakistani's in 2015?

Well, I would have guessed the majority of them were in Sri Lanka considering Pakistan toured the country for most of the English summer and before that Pakistan played two test matches in April and May in BD. So neither side was actually available.

You are also aware that before Pakistan annouced those tours, Younis Khan had signed for Yorkshire in 2015 to cover Aaron Finch's IPL stint, but was unable to fulfil his obligation?

Pakistan also toured Sri Lanka in the English summer in 2014.... and both teams toured Ireland and UK this year, which meant signing one as an overseas plyaer for the season meant you got 4 games out of them.

[Dr Cricket]

Where were the Sri Lankan and Pakistani's in 2015?

Well, I would have guessed the majority of them were in Sri Lanka considering Pakistan toured the country for most of the English summer and before that Pakistan played two test matches in April and May in BD. So neither side was actually available.

You are also aware that before Pakistan annouced those tours, Younis Khan had signed for Yorkshire in 2015 to cover Aaron Finch's IPL stint, but was unable to fulfil his obligation?

Pakistan also toured Sri Lanka in the English summer in 2014....

Can I ask you a question sussex do you think it is ok for English lions to play against pakistan or in sri lanka for a lions tour, but with Sri lankan young players or pakistani counter part not getting the same opportunity and really they only option to play top class cricket in england is too sign for counties that probably don't want them or can't fit 15-20 sri lankan players at a time.
at most county cricket will only benefit 2 or 3 sri lankan players is that fair Sussex in your eyes.

That is why boards want A tours so the next best players get game time abroad against top opposition and generally availability isn't an issue considering they won't be playing for the main side.

[Dr Cricket]

Where were the Sri Lankan and Pakistani's in 2015?

Well, I would have guessed the majority of them were in Sri Lanka considering Pakistan toured the country for most of the English summer and before that Pakistan played two test matches in April and May in BD. So neither side was actually available.

You are also aware that before Pakistan annouced those tours, Younis Khan had signed for Yorkshire in 2015 to cover Aaron Finch's IPL stint, but was unable to fulfil his obligation?

Pakistan also toured Sri Lanka in the English summer in 2014.... and both teams toured Ireland and UK this year, which meant signing one as an overseas plyaer for the season meant you got 4 games out of them.

no different to counties signing players in August to play 3-4 county games.
Hardus signed for kent.
Miguel Cummins etc signed for Worcestershire this season and had Shannon Gabriel the year before and then had kemar Roach for a similar 3 or 4 game deal.
having the players available for 3-4 games makes no difference.

really baffling how anyone can not see how unfair it is that England plays lions games in Sri lanka or Pakistan(UAE) but those countries don't get to play against England lions in England and people actually think County cricket is fair substitute considering young players from Sri lanka or pakistan won't get picked for counties.

[sussexpob]

Can I ask you a question sussex do you think it is ok for English lions to play against pakistan or in sri lanka for a lions tour, but with Sri lankan young players or pakistani counter part not getting the same opportunity and really they only option to play top class cricket in england is too sign for counties that probably don't want them or can't fit 15-20 sri lankan players at a time.
at most county cricket will only benefit 2 or 3 sri lankan players is that fair Sussex in your eyes.

That is why boards want A tours so the next best players get game time abroad against top opposition and generally availability isn't an issue considering they won't be playing for the main side.

The truth is, there has been no greater opportunity for foreign players to develop their skills abroad over county cricket. If you want to compare on any historical or current level, only the IPL compares, in first class cricket there is nothing of the sort.

[sussexpob]

really baffling how anyone can not see how unfair it is that England plays lions games in Sri lanka or Pakistan(UAE) but those countries don't get to play against England lions in England and people actually think County cricket is fair substitute considering young players from Sri lanka or pakistan won't get picked for counties.

So I must have dreamt up the Sri Lanka A and Pakistan A triangular series that was hosted by the Lions in July 2016.....in England... or the Sri Lanka A tour of England in 2014.

[Dr Cricket]

really baffling how anyone can not see how unfair it is that England plays lions games in Sri lanka or Pakistan(UAE) but those countries don't get to play against England lions in England and people actually think County cricket is fair substitute considering young players from Sri lanka or pakistan won't get picked for counties.

So I must have dreamt up the Sri Lanka A and Pakistan A triangular series that was hosted by the Lions in July 2016.....in England... or the Sri Lanka A tour of England in 2014.

Don't see Sri lanka A playing first class games against england lions in england during 2016.
or in 2014.
All they got was list A games.

Next year will be the first time lions played a first class game against an A team for a very long time at home.