So it's a premature farewell to Ross Whiteley, who has joined Worcestershire for the remainder of the season and until the end of 2016.
There will undoubtedly be rumours and stories flying around, so I think that I will do my best to unpick the story as I see it at and perhaps nip some of the more scurrilous in the bud.
As the club site states, Whiteley wanted to spend the winter in Australia, which was at odds with the club's plans for him. I know the lad met a girl out there when he has been out in previous winters, as he told me as much back in September in the post-title excitement at the County Ground. On that basis I can understand his desire to go back out there this winter, assuming the romance is ongoing. I cannot see cricket alone as the reason.
To be fair to the club, his employers, his bargaining position was far from strong, after a season in which form and fitness has proved elusive. Derbyshire, quite rightly in my opinion, presumably wanted him to stay home and work on his game with the club coaches, in an attempt to rediscover the form that made him look a genuine talent a couple of summers back but rather less than that of late.
Realistically, there would have been only one way out of such an impasse. Whiteley presumably wanted out and a place with a club who were willing to let him go to Australia this winter. Worcestershire were the interested party and that's how we got to the situation that broke today.
I don't blame the club one bit. As the employer, they were entitled to request the player stayed home and worked on his game. If the employee was digging his heels in, as happens in different working environments, there could only really be one solution and that was a parting of the ways.
Equally it is hard to blame the player, because that's what happens between men and women when things get serious. I might be getting old, but romance does funny things to people...OK, he may have wanted to work on his game there, but if that didn't suit the club, they pay the wages and the piper calls the tune.
It is a shame for the club though, They spent time on the player's development and have lost him before he reached full maturity, if he ever does. Chris Grant in particular was very fair with the lad and put him on a good contract when he had previously only been on a summer deal. It is not the ending that anyone would have chosen to the story and there's no denying that.
That's my take on things and I don't think it too wide of the mark. Ross Whiteley may go on to be a very good county cricketer and emulate Ian Blackwell in developing beyond that level. By the same token he might never realise that early potential, where he could swing the ball and bat with equal gusto. Few will forget his assault on Hampshire that rushed us to victory last September, his brilliant fielding nor his handy bowling. Only the churlish will fail to wish him well. He's a nice lad and a good cricketer. It's just a shame that things turned out this way.
Yet one man's departure is another's opportunity.
In Alex Hughes I think we have a ready-made replacement.
I'm not half as forgiving as you, Peakfan. This is another example of players being allowed to walk away (even if by "mutual consent") from the responsibilities of a contract that they were only too delighted to accept a few months ago when it suited them. There's a cost involved in holding firm, but if his contract would have prevented him going abroad this winter, we should have held him to it, and made it clear he was a contracted Derbyshire player for good or ill. If this meant we had to carry on paying him whilst he languished in club cricket because his performances weren't good enough, ultimately he would be the biggest loser as his career would be dead in the water at 26 with a handful of decent performances behind him two year earlier. At least, we would have held a line that might have made anyone else think twice about putting their wants above their responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteOn its own, I'm not sure he's that much of a loss. His bowling was pretty much rubbish anyway, and while his batting showed some potential, apart from his fantastic innings against Essex last year, it wasn't that special.
The principle is the thing though. Until clubs can terminate contracts for poor performances as readily as players can walk out of them when it suits them, they aren't worth the paper they are written on to us. This is a very disappointing display of weakness from Derbyshire's management.
Don't often disagree with you mate, but do here.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about principles, but we're nowhere close to affluent enough to allow a player to languish in club cricket on full pay. Equally, having someone around who doesn't want to be does no one favours in terms of team spirit.
It frees up money for another player and I'm keen to see who that will be in due course. Hopefully one who wants to be here.
What is everyone getting excited about?
ReplyDeleteHere is a player ( now fit ) who is not good enough to get in a team that is really struggling and it seems as though we are picking anyone but him.
Yes on his day he can be a very destructive batsmen but how many " days" did he have in reality that swung a game? 2,3,4 at the most. He can be a good blocker as well but in the championship he never seemed capable of working out how rot pace a proper long innings.
As for his bowling! Terrible-one of the worst second change bowlers of recent eras although he did have the uncanny knack of regularly taking wickets with long hops in div 2. Good ground fielder but dropped more than his share of catches.
Sad given the investment in him that he seems to have got his own way-no loyalty shown to club - but at least that's one of the 3 year contacts gone and means that some money will be freed up hopefully for a better replacement.
By the way I can see another of the 3 year jobs moving in the near future as well judging by recent events. Watch this space!
I don,t think he,s any great loss in all honesty and I doubt there will be many tears shed. I think Notoveryet has a point though and it,s the way in which players suddenly turn situations on their head,simply because it happens to suit them at the time,which tends to get people,s heckles up.
ReplyDeleteWhether Whiteley makes the grade at Worcester remains to be seen,though I think the chances are very much against it. Either way,I,m not really bothered one way or the other. He,s history and we move on.