There was no real surprise for me in yesterday's news of Duanne Olivier signing a 3 year Kolpak deal with Yorkshire.
Understandably, there are cries of anguish from South Africa, as the bowler had enjoyed a stellar winter in the national colours and had been the stand out bowler. Yet in a country that has enviable depths of seam bowling talent, there was no guarantee of a regular place in the national side when everyone is fit.
Given their policy of rotating players, Olivier had the choice of guaranteed county income for the next three years, or keeping his fingers crossed that he maintained form and fitness, while others didn't.
For me, that was a no-brainer. He got married last year and we are all, to some extent, motivated by money. If someone offered me guaranteed income against the possibility of it only from elsewhere, the former wins every time.
One or two people have bemoaned his signing for Yorkshire, rather than Derbyshire and I have seen the words 'lack of ambition' used. That is nonsense, because the harsh reality is that Derbyshire simply cannot compete in a bidding war when the opposition includes Test match counties.
All that we can hope to do is to identify young overseas talent hoping to make a name. We may well have done that with Logan van Beek, but if he has a top season for us this year, others will undoubtedly be offering more money for 2020. Occasionally you get someone who remains loyal, like Wayne Madsen, but in a relatively short career it is understandable for players to want to make as much as they can.
I wish Duanne well. While young Yorkshire bowlers may not be so happy, he simply replaces Liam Plunkett and Jack Brooks, neither of whom were produced by the county.
It is the way of the world and with the window of opportunity to take up a Kolpak deal likely to close post Brexit, my only surprise is that there have not been more South Africans heading this way over the winter.
Though of course, there is still time...
I'm disappointed from a SA perspective that he's made this choice but a three year contract at Yorkshire probably can't be turned down from a financial perspective. He's a good bowler and I think is a good team man although his batting isn't great. He'll do well if he does as well as Brooks.
ReplyDeleteWeren't some of the Yorkshire fans calling us Kolpakshire after we beat them last season? Ironic really...
ReplyDeleteThey were mate, but we only have Rampaul as a Kolpak, now Viljoen has gone.
ReplyDeletePeople don't understand it either. I have seen folk on Twitter urging Jimmy Neesham to go Kolpak, as well as a couple of Pakistanis. They can't...
Re: Neesham. Pakistanis I can understand, but Neesham? Have NZ ended their association agreement with the EU?...because NZ players always used to be eligible for Kolpak (Marshall was one, and I think Paul wiseman played as a Kolpak for a while).
ReplyDeleteYou are confusing Kolpak and European passports, Anon.
ReplyDeleteMarshall played on an Irish passport, while Wiseman, like Craig Spearman and a few others, on a UK one. Our own Wayne Madsen first played on a Portuguese one, through his mother.
Kolpaks can ONLY be from countries that have the requisite trade deals with the UK and the door is slowly closing with Brexit.
Those countries are South Africa, Zimbabwe and some islands of the West Indies. Which is how we have Ravi Rampaul, now our only Kolpak