Seriously...

Calm down.

There are a couple of things about the "signing" of Robin Peterson, announced on the 11th in South African newspapers, referred to yesterday on cricinfo and the subject of great excitement on IMWT that I think need to be said.

First and foremost, IF it happens it will be a terrific piece of work by John Morris

Now the bad news...

The link that "Anon" posted onto the previous blog piece merely says that Peterson has indicated "his intention" to sign a Kolpak deal with Derbyshire, which is great as far as it goes.
But it means that he hasn't yet done so.

If you look at his Test and one-day international record, he hasn't played the prerequisite number of games for South Africa in the qualifying period. We have to remember that the key to this is April 2010, when the season starts.

Peterson's last Test ended on March 3rd 2008, outside the two year qualifying period. It was also his only one in a five year period, so he doesn't make the necessary criteria there, either.

I have him calculated at 14 one day games in a five year period, not the necessary fifteen, though his five twenty-over games may be taken into consideration. So too may be the fact that he has been in his country's squad in the recent Champions Trophy, an indication of a player of some talent. Yet something suggests to me that it might have been better for us, especially if the player was to sign a two-year contract as the South African press suggests, if Peterson had played some more matches for their national side this winter.

As it stands, it would appear that we want to sign him, which is great. It appears that he wants to sign for us - which is fantastic.

But will he get a visa? If anyone out there is an expert on Kolpak visas then please let me know. As with all things cricket, the waters are muddier than any blues guitarist of the same name. Think Duckworth-Lewis. Now the Memorandum of Understanding, then the new Kolpak regulations. Maybe if Peterson has worn blue trousers twice in the past three months on his way to a game and has whistled the national anthem it will work in his favour.

I don't know. If you ask me if I'm excited at the thought of this bloke playing for us, my answer would be an unequivocal yes. If you ask me if I think it will happen, I'm less sure.

I'll be writing in length about it if it happens. Until it is announced on the club site it hasn't.

And it might not.

I'm not being negative, just realistic. Given track record, if the ECB could find a tiny loophole to prevent "little" Derbyshire bringing in an international all rounder that could threaten the order of things in county cricket, I would bet my beer money on it being utilised. I'm thrilled at the thought of this chap playing for us next year, but the time for dreaming will be when its done and dusted and not before.