Weekend roundup

The article on Blair Tickner by Will MacPherson in the Telegraph earlier this week reflects great credit on the player and club.

You can see that article here

That Tickner was able to keep going after the diagnosis on his wife, Sarah's health is to his great credit. So too how the players and their wives and partners rallied around them both and their daughter, Florence.

It is clear that Tickner is a man of honour and the article leaves no doubt that he hopes to return to the county in 2025 for unfinished business. 

Only time will tell how realistic that ambition is. His wife will require ongoing treatment and it would be difficult to focus on his work, when he is potentially thousands of miles from home. 

My own gut feeling, should he be able to travel, is that Derbyshire will perhaps limit his involvement to the red ball section of the early summer, allowing him then to travel home at the end of May, before the T20 begins. He might then return at the end of the summer, depending on how the early part of the season goes for the county.

This week's news from Pakistan might be helpful, with both Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir announcing their retirements (again) from international cricket. Both appear to be set to see out the remainder of their careers in franchise and T20 cricket around the world. 

Amir's stint at Derbyshire last year was too short to be hugely influential, though he proved hard to get away. He didn't really appear to 'slip' himself but batters will always be aware that he has that ability if required.

It could well be that Derbyshire's Head of Cricket lines him up for a return, having a good relationship with the player. The same could be said for Wasim, of course, who worked a good partnership with Samit Patel when they were both at Nottinghamshire. 

I think the skill set of the latter would be better suited to Derbyshire, though my concern is that when I have more recently watched him, he hasn't looked especially fit. A knee injury has hampered him and he also appears to be carrying more weight than in his prime. In a Derbyshire squad that is already not the youngest, my personal feeling is that someone younger might be a better bet.

Perhaps the forthcoming Big Bash in Australia will be worth a watch. Having already signed Caleb Jewell from Tasmania, there will be other young talents there who would enhance our T20 prospects with bat and ball, as well as offering something extra in the field. 

Of course, a chance to impress in the English T20 could then offer an opening into The Hundred, which is an inducement that will hold considerable appeal.

All conjecture and supposition at this stage, but the more I think about it the more I feel it is likely that our second overseas role will be split next summer.

Given the challenges highlighted in my last post around overseas recruitment, it seems the most likely solution.

We will see.

Meantime, enjoy your weekend!