Why don't overseas players come to the Pura Cup

[Hoggy]

Seeing as though overseas players go to the English County Cricket circuit during the off-season, why don't players from say England, the West Indies and other such countries that don't play around our domestic season come down to the Pura Cup to try their hands down here.

We used to see it, when Queensland recruited the likes of Viv Richards, Ian Botham and Graham Hick.

I reckon it would be great to see this sort of thing, imagine Michael Vaughan representing the Big V! It would help both English cricket by giving the players the experience of playing against the world's best and it would also help Australian cricket by making the youngsters work even harder to crack it at first-class level.

Thoughts?

 

[Kiwi]

The money that the players get by playing in county cricket is huge. The likes of Chris Cairns only do it because of the money.
I don't know about the Pure Cup but I do know that in the State competition in New Zealand, the players would not get much money at all(if any).


Also playing international cricket, is not an easy task. Any time these guys get when they are not playing county or international they take a break away from the game. Your body can't play 12 months a year.

 

[luckyeddie]

Now let me check my calendar - ah! I have a fortnight free in 2006.

No, there's just no time any more. Often, there's 2 or 3 mini-tours or triangulars in the 'off-season'. The players would never get a break.

 

[Top_Cat]

You guys are talking about the international players. I'd like to see some of the fringe English players down under.

I remember Chris Adams playing for Canberra. He looked like a decent player too. I remember his first two balls he faced for Canberra; two fours stroked to the cover fence. As good as any cover drives I've ever seen.

 

[Rik]

English "fringe" players do play in Australia during the winter, but tend to play Grade rather than State cricket.

 

[Top_Cat]

Just to head-off any idiot comments about how superior the Aussie system is to the English etc., the reason the English players play grade cricket more than FC is cricket is more a reflection of the Aussie state's desire to pick home-grown players than the ability of the English players.

What I'm saying is that I'd like to see more of those English players playing FC cricket.

 

[Hoggy]

English "fringe" players do play in Australia during the winter, but tend to play Grade rather than State cricket.

For example - Paul Collingwood was playing with Richmond.

What benefit would you get out of playing at that level, put them in first class level and see how they go.

 

[Tim]

There was talk about a year ago that a NZ team would join the Australian competition..like the Warriors have done in the NRL or the new NZ team in the basketball league.

Im not really sure if it will happen, but I recall Glenn McGrath saying in an interview that he was keen for it to happen.

 

[Simon]

There was a New Zealand team in the 1d comp a number of years ago wasnt there???
As for Chris Adams playing for Canberra, that was a huge flop from memory, like every other player we brought in he did nothing.

 

[Tim]

There has never been a NZ team in an Australian based cricket competition.

But I think for the development of NZ cricket aswell as maybe offering Australian domestic players overseas experience on NZ pitch conditions which are similar to that of England, i think it would be good to see a NZ team join the comp.

I don't know how they'd do it...probably have a North Island or Sth Island team or something.

 

[Simon]

i cant be bothered looking for anything on it, but i thought there was a new zealand team of sorts in the Australia domestic one day comp sometime in the early to mid eighties.

 

[marc71178]

For example - Paul Collingwood was playing with Richmond.

What benefit would you get out of playing at that level, put them in first class level and see how they go.

Actually, they get quite a lot of benefit I think.

There's no arguing it's a tough standard of Cricket, and the likes of Collingwood and Rob Key (the only 2 I can think of off the top of my head) have really benefitted from it!

 

[Hoggy]

There has never been a NZ team in an Australian based cricket competition.

McDonalds Cup 79/80 ish.

The old name for the domestic One-Day comp.

 

[Tim]

oh ok then, mind you that was a fair time ago.

 

[Simon]

McDonalds Cup 79/80 ish.

The old name for the domestic One-Day comp.

i had a feeling it was sometime back then

 

[Tim]

Sorry Simon, that was good memory.

 

[hourn]

There was a New Zealand team in the one day comp quiet a few years ago.

But why would we want to have Overseas players come and play FC cricket?? I'd rather see us developing our own.

Jeff Cook plays 1st Grade at my club, Easts, and he's an absolute gun, but he wouldn't be able to play for NSW I dont think. He would probably be in the best half a dozen or so batsmen outside of the NSW squad however.

James Marshall also played the first 4 or 5 games of the season at Easts before heading back to New Zealand. Can't believe he didn't get picked up by a county for this season??

Chris Adam played for University of NSW for half a season and absolutely killed it.

 

[hourn]

For example - Paul Collingwood was playing with Richmond.

What benefit would you get out of playing at that level, put them in first class level and see how they go.

I think you are greatly underestimating the standard of Grade Cricket.

It is much higher than a lot of people think.

And if Collingwood was playing for Victoria, then that would be taking a spot away from an Australian who could be developed.

 

[Tim]

James Marshall is playing club cricket in Holland at the moment, he was in line to play for NZ this season I thought but ended up with a poor FC average of 23 this season.

Hourn, you said overseas players in the Australian Domestic competition would ruin the development of Australian cricket..do you think if NZ were allowed a team into the first class & OD competitions that it would hamper Australia?

 

[hourn]

Hourn, you said overseas players in the Australian Domestic competition would ruin the development of Australian cricket..do you think if NZ were allowed a team into the first class & OD competitions that it would hamper Australia?

No that wouldn't cause me any grief at all, provided New Zealand had a near test/ODI team in there.

But I do appose to overseas players taking 1 of the 66 spots available for each round (yes, I know they don't play round-by-round but you know what I mean)

If another 11 spots were to be made available I wouldn't have a problem.

Even if they had an international Squad of soughts, where a squad of players (not all star internationals), but a few stars (eg, Tendulkar, Kallis, Vaughan) mixed with a few average international players (e.g. Hinds, Tuffey, Whittall) and some of the battlers/beginners (e.g. Banks, Best, Harmison) and the rest from a few non international kiwis like James Marshall and co.