If ever there was a graphic illustration required of the have and have nots in county cricket, Surrey are going a long way towards providing the former.
As close to diametrically opposed as is possible to Derbyshire's approach, Surrey are flashing the cash left, right and centre this winter in an attempt to build a team. Granted they had need of a major overhaul, following the loss of several major players, but in bringing in proven players of undeniable quality, Chris Adams is both raising the average age of the side and making it much harder for young players to emerge.
Look at the main players at the Oval next summer. Jon Lewis will be 37, the same as Vikram Solanki, Gary Keedy 38, Gareth Batty 35 and Chris Tremlett 31. Decent players all, with Solanki and Keedy lured to the Oval with the promise of one last big payday before retirement. It is a similar path to that trod by Hampshire a few seasons back, as well as by our division two rivals Kent last summer.
For neither of these sides did it prove a success, with greater experience equating to increased susceptibility to injury and far less mobility in the field. Without doubt such experience will tell in some situations, especially, as I have written before, in the one-day game. By the same token that reduced mobility could tell against them. How many times have matches been won and lost by fielding? Without doubt it was a major factor for Derbyshire last summer, as it has been for countless sides before them. Surrey may be many things next summer, but no one should expect fielding to be their strongest suit.
Today, Surrey announced a three-year contract for South African skipper Graeme Smith, who at 32 fits into the age demographic quite nicely. It would be silly to label it a bad signing, as he is a very fine player, but how much bang they will get for their buck is a moot point. One would expect Smith to be costing around £150K a summer and his national commitments will take a chunk from each of those seasons.
It could be a very inspired move, but there is no guarantee that the international fixtures of South Africa might not change in between times, as they so often do. The attraction of the top Test nation for other countries is obvious and Smith has made it clear that he is not giving up on his international career. Why would he, when, having worked for years to get them to the top, he is entitled to spend a few years in keeping them there.
The romantics might see it as a first sign of top South Africans appearing in the county game in larger quantities, but I would be surprised if it did. Smith doesn't play IPL and a sizeable lure was having his Irish wife closer to her parents. The rest of the big South African names, Amla apart, do. Six weeks in India for half a million plus, or six months in England for £100K?
I'll let you do the maths. It's a no brainer for me...
It,s rather ironic that the ECB incentive payments are being ignorned by the very counties they would like to embrace it. Namely the rich,test ground counties.
ReplyDeleteThe money on offer is not sufficient incentive for many to change their way of thinking. A handful of smaller counties may eventually follow our lead but I doubt the majority will.
The danger for those that do,if through choice or necessity,is they may end up as nothing more than feeder counties for the big boys.
The ECB system is flawed, if for no other reason than it,s a voluntary one,leaving counties to follow their own chosen path.
The big boys will continue to cherry pick the best players from the rest and the ECB will stand by and allow it to happen. It,s all too easy now for players to follow the smell of money and turn their backs on those who gave them their upbringing and a chance to play professional cricket.
As it stands now,those that have will have more and those that haven,t will be left to swim against the tide.