And so it begins...

We've not yet signed Robin Peterson. We may not sign him, yet over on 606 there are those moaning already that he's not good enough.

Sigh.

I'm not going over yesterday's ground but don't people ever think about giving the benefit of the doubt? He's an INTERNATIONAL spinner with a decent pedigree. He bats solidly (and at times spectacularly) and fields like a panther.

Someone makes the comment that we should stick with "Jake, Chesney, Smudge, Redders and Madsen". Ah yes, that deadly spin quintet. I rate all of them as players of potential, but the reality is that four of them have 48 first class wickets between them and 27 in one day games. Smith has 71 and 42 respectively, but I'd venture that 2/3 of them were taken bowling seam.
Peterson has 242 and 167 respectively, at an average only a little higher than Daniel Vettori. C'mon guys, show the man some respect.

I sometimes wonder if the "fans" ever think about what they write. I've asked a few players if they ever read the message boards and comments and the answer is more often than not in the affirmative. "You can't help it" said one. I don't have a clue whether Robin Peterson reads such things, but if he was sat at home reading 606 and thinking about putting pen to paper, don't you think it could be a deterrent if people are writing him off even before he does so?

How people can look at Peterson's record and suggest "he's not much better than we already have" is ludicrous to the extreme. Last time I looked, our squad wasn't choc-a-bloc with spin bowling all rounders of international experience. How can people write that "he's not worth the outlay" when they don't know what the outlay is?

I'll not be writing any more about Robin Peterson as its pointless until we know he is going to sign. I may as well write about Sachin Tendulkar and Rikky Ponting and what they might do for us.

But please guys - show a little respect and at least a modicum of common sense. If you can't see that the signing of an international class - which he must be because he's played it - spin bowling all rounder isn't an improvement on what we have, or on the names that have been bandied about this winter, then there really is no hope.

We've talked about Middlebrook, Brown, Keedy, Salisbury and Botha - some of them people who aren't even available. Be glad we're even linked with this bloke, and at least reserve judgement until he's signed and played a few games, if that ever happens.