Well Pietersen was our top scorer and Morgan scored most of his runs against WI & Ireland, which we drew and lost (his other scores were 5, 22, 40, 2* & 15*).That one player was arguably the most valuable English player throughout.
Swanny imo.Well Pietersen was our top scorer and Morgan scored most of his runs against WI & Ireland, which we drew and lost.
The bowlers won us the tournament imo. Restricted the opposition to under par scores throughout.
yes, I don't think England is necessarily at fault here. They are after all as Athlai said making best use of talent available to them, and they aren't breaking any rules or regulations. I don't have issues with Morgan either. He has brilliant talent, and if he thinks he can be successful if he plays for England, nothing wrong with that either.I don't necessarily feel comfortable we're taking the cream of associate nations (and, in the cases of Joyce and Amjad Khan, quickly disgarding them too) but they are playing in our domestic competition as non-overseas players, but if we were to arbitrarily say we weren't going to pick them based on mildly dodgy conceptions of who is or isn't a "proper" national we'd be doubly hamstringing ourselves. Not only would these players be unavailable, but they're also filling a place that would otherwise be occupied by a "real" pom, however one wishes to define that.
It's 4 years.yes, I don't think England is necessarily at fault here. They are after all as Athlai said making best use of talent available to them, and they aren't breaking any rules or regulations. I don't have issues with Morgan either. He has brilliant talent, and if he thinks he can be successful if he plays for England, nothing wrong with that either.
My only issue is then why Ireland has Associate status and receiving seperate funding from ICC. Because in net effect it is favoring a nation more (here England), by letting one of her "talent pools" compete at near the highest level, and thus make better players, only to be "employed" by the England team.
It defeats the purpose of classifying Ireland as an Associate Nation in the first place. Because ultimate aim of ICC and all this program is to make more nations, including Ireland play test cricket. Right now, they are more of a glorified "English Lions team", whose players have access to English county system, and unlike Lions team, actually can compete at the highest level, play World cups etc, but whose best talent is ultimately used by England.
All this calls for a look at the motive and justification behind Ireland being considered an independent ODI playing country and an Associate. Because the situation where a player can turn out for one country in April, and then another in May is imho farcical. In this case considering it will invariably arrest the development of Ireland as a cricketing team on it's own, ICC as may well de-recognise them as associates, and ask English Board to do their funding. They have solid talent, but the numbers are limited. So the best can always come up through the English system without complexities like these. Alternatively they can impose the 3(4?) year "cooling off" period which is now applicable for Full members, and thus England can justify themselves having spotted the talent, and "developed" it entirely via it's own system, before using that resource in an international match.
I don't believe in this SA born argument. KP etc have done justice to his selection by completely cutting off from South Africa, emigrating to England, doing the hard grind in English county cricket for 3-4 years, qualified himself as a British citizen and then only was considered for national selection. For me from cricketing pov he is as English as a Sidebottom or a Broad.
One counter argument for Morgan would be that he has too been doing the hard grind in County cricket since 2006. But then he always had the extra advantage of turning out in the Irish colors, play cricket at the top level, taken care of by the ICC directly, and thus a distinct advantage of other Middlesex players.
Anyway for now Irish cricket's future looks very bleak.
Pietersen and Swann say hi, and I believe Stuart Broad popped his head round the corner too, Sidebottom wants a word as well, and Tim Bresnan....That one player was arguably the most valuable English player throughout.
Kieswetter might have played for South Africa U19s, but he finished his schooling in England and has only played FC cricket in England.It's not like England bought these players off the street, or stole them away from the safe clutches of South African sporting academies. Pietersen, Lumb and Morgan were developed, trained and raised by the English sporting system. Kieswetter is a bit different as he played for Yarpie U-19s, but I have no problem with Pietersen, Lumb, Morgan, Strauss or Prior.
Just sour grapes from other teams that keep bringing this up all the time.
Don't think Morgan has UK citizenship, he qualifies because he's been in the County system for years.Im so sick and tired of hearing this, both in commentary and in discussions. I am not sure why being 'foreign born' makes someone a citizen of another country. All these players were British enough to be awarded British passports and at the end of the day if you we are going to criticize anything it should be the naturalization laws that have been created that have granted people like Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan etc the right to UK citizenship.
In fact, rather to my surprise, that's not the case at all. The standard of discussion has been pretty good.Some incredibly sour grapes in here.Love it.
Yup, still travels on an Irish passport (as does Joyce FWIW). However, although the ICC don't insist on it, the ECB only allow UK & Irish passport holders to play and, in the case of those born away from blighty, only then after the four year residence qualification, also not demanded by the ICC (although necessary in Kieswetter's & Trott's cases as they'd played U19s for yer yarps).Don't think Morgan has UK citizenship, he qualifies because he's been in the County system for years.
Yep, I remember that by ICC rules, Pietersen was eligible to play for England as soon as he stepped off the boat, but it was the self-imposed ECB regulations that made him wait out the 4 years.Yup, still travels on an Irish passport (as does Joyce FWIW). However, although the ICC don't insist on it, the ECB only allow UK & Irish passport holders to play and, in the case of those born away from blighty, only then after the four year residence qualification, also not demanded by the ICC (although necessary in Kieswetter's & Trott's cases as they'd played U19s for yer yarps).
Gordon Greenidge's father, a local resident here in the Royal County, told me, years ago, that he (Gordon that is) chose to play for WI because he didn't want to open the batting with Geoff Boycott - I thought he was kidding (although he maintained an impassive inscrutable look on his face)In fact, rather to my surprise, that's not the case at all. The standard of discussion has been pretty good.
Absolutely loved Goughy's call on Gordon Greenidge.