County Championship Division 1 Thread 2016

[westoelad]

Rashid has made himself unavailable for Middlesex game as he wants rest before the Bangladesh tour. Must find it hard work bowling 10 overs of legspin a couple of times a week.

[captaincolly]

Rashid has made himself unavailable for Middlesex game as he wants rest before the Bangladesh tour. Must find it hard work bowling 10 overs of legspin a couple of times a week.

An extraordinary decision by Rashid.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Big loss given his replacement isn't doing well.

The ECB (Strauss and Bayliss) have turned down YCCC's request that Bairstow might play. I'm in favour of England players missing county games. Joe Root is an England player firstly and he should do whatever it takes to ensure he turns up in the best shape for the national side in a very arduous schedule. And I think Bairstow is in that category now. But the season started with him just playing a single format and YCCC might have expected his availability (hasn't been on central contract for all the last year). So in this key tie, it seems reasonable that he be available, and next season Yorks can pretty much forget about him.

JB wanted to play, and has had time off, and says he doesn't feel tired (he's played five days of cricket in five weeks, says the YCCC website).

[Arthur Crabtree]

Patterson is back in an unbalanced squad. Lehmann is missing, and Leaning is named.

Gary Ballance, Tim Bresnan, Jack Brooks, Andrew Gale ©, Andrew Hodd (w), Alex Lees, Adam Lyth, Steven Patterson, Liam Plunkett, Azeem Rafiq, Ryan Sidebottom, Jack Leaning, David Willey.

[westoelad]

And game certain to be played on a used wicket.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Bairstow is set to be centrally contracted at the end of the season, but isn't currently.

Curious decision by Rashid, given it was his choice.

[captaincolly]

Baurstow should have been allowed to play. Ridiculous that he is keen to play but has been told not to.

[Aidan11]

Baurstow should have been allowed to play. Ridiculous that he is keen to play but has been told not to.

Somebody more cynical than me might suggest the decision was taken after discussions at the ECB by Strauss (ex- Middlesex) and Angus Fraser (Ex-Middlesex).

[westoelad]

Bairstow is set to be centrally contracted at the end of the season, but isn't currently.

Curious decision by Rashid, given it was his choice.

I don't know what Rashid's domestic situation is but if he has a young family his decision is just about understandable. He has had a full summer with Yorkshire and England then off to Bangladesh for a month then barely a break then off to India. Needs a downtime with his family.

[westoelad]

Baurstow should have been allowed to play. Ridiculous that he is keen to play but has been told not to.

Somebody more cynical than me might suggest the decision was taken after discussions at the ECB by Strauss (ex- Middlesex) and Angus Fraser (Ex-Middlesex).

Or could it be that ECB are pee'd off with their chairman Mr Graves and are exacting revenge.

[Alviro Patterson]

Joke decision by the ECB not allowing Bairstow to play in the Championship finale when he clearly wants to, especially when Lehmann jnr is heading back to his state side.

As for Rashid, in my eyes he is now Yorkshire's 3rd choice spinner unless if there is a genuine reason. Who in their right mind would want to turn down the opportunity to win silverware? Also he's not an automatic pick for the Test squad.

Compared to some Southern Hemisphere sides (Australia and New Zealand are virtually playing non stop cricket between September/October and March), England have a manageable schedule. 7 Tests and 3 ODIs between October and December, two weeks break, 5 ODIs and 3 T20is in January, another two weeks break, followed by 2 warm up and 3 ODIs v West Indies in February/March, a month off and the 2017 County season begins. If players want a rest then don't play in that North v South List A series, that really should be an enhanced County programme than involving internationals.

[westoelad]

Rashid has now given detailed reasons for missing the Middlesex game. He claims that he informed Yorkshire that he was available for selection but feared he would not be fully focused on the game as he had a close relative who was in hospital seriously ill. He also cited his past and forthcoming heavy playing schedule. He's nevertheless getting criticism from his captain and coaches in tweets from them. Refusing to allow Bairstow to play is the ECB's prerogative but it's worth denoting that both Anderson and Woakes are also made unavailable in an equally important game for their counties but the decisions have been accepted without protest. Equally Pieterson has declared himself unavailable for Lancs for personal reasons without any apparent rancour from the club. Quite contrasting attitudes from different counties.

[Alviro Patterson]

Rashid also mentions in his statement that he is suffering from physical and mental fatigue from a heavy schedule of cricket. He also says family comes first, yet plans to go on an England tour lasting two and a half months.

It reads to me that if Rashid is not fit to play for Yorkshire in an all-important match, he is clearly not fit to play for England. This may explain why England are taking four spinners to the sub-continent.

Yorkshire are transparent when it comes to making statements. The one about Bairstow's availability was made in response to Yorkshire spectators wanting claification, I believe the White Rose Forum founder wrote to the club asking for an explanation. Bairstow wants to play in the final game, Yorkshire want to play him (especially when Lehmann has returned to South Australia) and Yorkshire pay his wages. Naturally there is going to be disappontment.

Rashid's reasoning for withdrawl seems to be an on-going revelation and the club are not aware of his recent issues. When Kane Williamson and Steven Patterson withdrew from County Championship matches for fitness/personal reasons, Yorkshire were very open on their unavailability and I doubt the club would intentionally hang Rashid to dry.

[captaincolly]

Buttler is the latest player to be withdrawn from the last round of matches. He's "resting" by order of the ECB.

[westoelad]

Clearly the issue could have been better handled. It turns out this is a pretty personal issue and surely should have been handled sensitively through Yorkshire's media department. The captain tweeting that he only wants players who'll give there all for Yorkshire can easily be misinterpreted and imply criticism.