It seems to me that you're changing what you're saying here. Of course everybody would love to see 21 year old English players come in and take their places, but they're not for a reason. Those players you mentioned are there on merit.
Exactly. The fact that Caddick, Hick, Ramprakash, Ealham, Cork have not been forced out a good while ago by any good young players in their various counties. Isn't helping our local cricket. All they are doing is increasing their their career stats.
Off all the young batsmen like Hildreth, Gidman, Bopara, Gale, etc. Who have the domestic runs. As we saw recently with Collingwood out injured. All where ignored for Morgan who doesn't have a strong FC cricket. Imagine if Morgan didn't decide to play for us, who would we have chosen.
Your comparisons with Australia and South African domestic systems seem odd to me. I mean sure, they don't have as many overseas players, but I'd say that's down to how many teams there are.
Which is why when talking about domestic cricket here. Its division 1 mainly, which of course is the elite level of FC cricket. Division 2 performances generally aren't taken seriously, because its piss poor.
Yet, you still saw Jason Gillespie go home after the 2005 Ashes, where he looked terrible and take wickets at 21 in the Pura Cup. Then you see the likes of Darren Lehmann, still feasting on Aussie bowling attacks into his later years, so for me it happens everywhere.
But at least Gillespie went back to a '"strong" Pura Cup that 05/06 season. Which generally is on par with/close to the level of international cricket over the past 20 years. As it proved when he returned to the AUS team vs BANG IN 2006, he clearly had improved.
He was very much in the running to the play the 1st Ashes test @ Brisbane 2006 if you remember.
Lehmann yes he scored runs in FC cricket passed his international peak. But thats an anomoly really for AUS domestic cricket. That genereally doesn't happen. Since Langer was released by Western Australia after he retired, but yet came over here to Somerset & managed to do well.
The issue on overseas/kolpak players is a different one to this age debate for me.
They are all connected to the same issue - which is lack of quality depth. The fact the so many counties readily accept kolpal players esepcially from SA, shows fairly clearly enough quality young local players aren't pushing for a place.
War added 5 Minutes and 57 Seconds later...
There will always be players who are in that gray area of dominating domestic cricket but failing at the International level.
As much as you rag on the English domestic system War, its easily the best after the Aussie one and the two are miles above all the rest.
Nah South African Franchise cricket is definately better than ours.
What makes our doemstic cricket still very prestigious. Is that is still well supported by fans & sponsors. While players can genuienly make a solid living player circket every season compared to other domestic cricket in NZ, WI, IND, PAK, SRI. But the standard of cricket in English domestic cricket isn't that much better than that of IND, NZ, WI, PAK, SRI.
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