'Is there any protection for the club with pathway players, or can the “bigger” counties come poaching whenever they want?'
The answer is that there would be no reason for a young player to move, as it would be a sideways one. In addition, were it even to be considered, the county doing the signing would have to remunerate the 'source' county for the work put into their development. Realistically, a county with plenty of big name players is less likely to offer the opportunities that a smaller one may do anyway.
Derbyshire have a very good Pathway and we are starting to see players emerge, like Harry Moore and Yousaf Bin Naeem. They and their parents will be aware of what the club are doing and what is planned for their future development.
While on that subject, I am happy to correct a comment I made regarding the Academy/Pathway receiving half a million pounds from the ECB annually.
The figure is actually £190k and a minimum further £70k has to be raised each year between parents and sponsors.
Money well spent if the talent emerges from the other end of the 'conveyor belt'!
The only protection is whether they're in contract is it not? And even then other counties can still sign them they just have to agree compensation (not disimilar to a transfer fee in football).
ReplyDeleteIn football any situations where young players are poached whom may be too young to have had a contract sees the case go to a tribunal for compensation to be agreed to the developing club. Is there something similar in cricket?
Players will always move to bigger clubs and quite right as well, it's a short career so they need to maximise earning potential, their chances of winning things and (sadly and wrongly) if they're good enough to think about England caps then selection is more realistic playing in division one or better yet at a test match ground county. Both the ECB and many in the media desire a smaller top level of cricket (we'd already be in a second tier behind a ringfenced top division made up of rebranded test match hosting counties (franchises) if they could get away with it so expect no change to this.
I would suggest we need to look at the approach in football taken by the likes of Brighton whom accept they’ll lose players to bigger clubs but work to keep them as long as possible, maximise what they get for them and are succesful enough in the meantime to get those players buying into their approach.
Thanks for the answer. I'm really excited by the prospect of Bin Naeem particularly, but we need a continued successful pathway and the ability to keep hold of players for as long as possible.
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