There is a lot of nonsense in the air with regard to Graham Wagg today, with BBC Wales staff hopefully about to be kicked up the backside for breaking a press embargo and essentially getting their facts wrong.
You can see the full story here
http://www.derbyshireccc.com/servlets/template?FILE=news-fullstory&SID=15301722142251252570553&news_id=2638&title=Derbyshire County Cricket Club Statement
It does little credit to BBC Wales that they broke this embargo and even less that they managed, in so doing, to so skew the story that it read the opposite of what was intended.
For that matter, who actually believed that John Morris wouldn't be doing his utmost to keep him at the club? We're not so flush for cricketers of quality that we could turn away one of Wagg's ability. When I first read it, my conclusions were that he was either asking for silly money that we didn't have (in which case he turned down an offer) or that he was only not being offered one because his achilles tendon injury was career-threatening, like the one that ended Graeme Welch's playing days.
I have no issue with Graham Wagg doing the best for himself and his young family and if he decides that his future lies away from Derby then so be it. He has been a fine player for us, though I'd fall short of calling him a "legend" that is being written in some quarters. My "legends" need to do a little bit more than 180 wickets for the club. On that basis can I call Freddie Swarbrook (400 wickets-plus) a minor deity?
My guess is that Wagg will go, which is a shame, but life will go on. While I would love him to stay, no one man is bigger than the club, as Kim Barnett, Dominic Cork and a few others found out. Yes, we missed them as we'll probably miss Wagg, but someone else would then get an opportunity and who knows, may do even better. I am surprised that he looks set for Glamorgan though, hardly the first place national selectors look. I was surprised when Jim Allenby moved there, despite good offers from a couple of counties, so can only assume that someone is bankrolling them and offering daft money.
Looking at their record this season, which is little better than ours, it's not working, is it?
The official press release concludes very much with an air of inevitability to it.
ReplyDeleteWith Wagg and Peterson out of the frame, there is a distinctly frail look to the attack. With Jones in the twilight of his career, Footitt and Sheikh still a little raw, Groenewald decent (no more), Clare promising, Hunter and Lungley ready to move on (in my opinion and I hope Wagg's departure does not lead to yet another reprieve)and then Needham (and that is the question for Morris), we look limited.
Of ocurse, Langeveldt could possibly do a Kolpak and Smith and Durston can offer 2nd string spin. It still leaves a lot of patching up though.
It seems to me that a spin bowling all rounder plus Charl would be one possible option to cover a number of bases, but who would that all rounder be? Smith, Chawla, Jadeja, Pathan or van der Merwe perhaps. I should imagine Australia could be awkward with the release of Smith and I suspect Morris would prefer to avoid taking a flyer with a relatively untried Indian bowler. This could then mean he just opts for a batter, such as Phil Hughes, but I would hope he could secure someone with a second string to their bow.
One possible quickie option could be Friedel de Wet, who may do quite well over here.
Early days though.
MASSTERVILLAIN