Cricket

BUTCHER'S BLOCK

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18 April 2008

ALAN BUTCHER'S VIEW

It’s been the most fraught off season that I can remember – even including the disastrous stomach based aftermath of our pre-season trip to India last year!

Back in October we had made the signings that we thought we wanted and everything was already in place. We then spent all winter with the shadow of possibly not getting Pedro Collins registered because of the Kolpak problems he suffered and then Saqlain Mushtaq because of his involvement in the Indian Cricket League.

Our plans haven’t been disrupted because they’ve both been cleared, but you’re always thinking: ‘Oh God, where are we going to go if it doesn’t happen?’ But it was great getting Pedro cleared two weeks ago and then Saqlain last week– it’s only a few days before the season starts but better late than never!

This time last year I wrote about my opinions on ‘Kolpak’ players and their potentially negative impact on the county championship and the development of young English players. We’ve now signed some ourselves but I haven’t necessarily had a change of heart.

I still think that way but you also have to have a certain amount of pragmatism when – as happened most of the season in 2007 – you’re turning up and playing against sides that effectively have four or five overseas players.

If it’s difficult to pick up the quality of English players to strengthen your squad then, from a pragmatic point of view, you have to compromise your principles to a certain degree because otherwise it would be difficult to compete.

As a big club with big sponsors and big backers, they need us to be competing therefore we felt we needed to do it.
There is the danger that bringing in these players could limit the opportunities for some of our younger players to get a run in the side. In a way though, it is something that I can’t control because with a two divisional championship, everybody wants to be in the top division so you have to be able to compete and stay in that division.

If it was as in the old days with just one division, the manager would have more time to invest in the development of some of the younger players and think ‘we know that for a couple of years we’ve got to give new experience and hopefully those players will develop’. Under a two divisional championship, if you truly want to compete in the top division it’s difficult to have that sort of time.

Having said that, I think there will opportunities for a lot of those players. We may not play as many championship games as we did in my day, but the other side of that coin is players can now spend a day and a half in the field.

Sometimes you might do that and then play a one day game straight afterwards so it’s difficult to think that you can go through a season with just thirteen or fourteen players.

There will be people disappointed not to make the first team I think that people will make other contributions.

On a personal note, for the first winter in a long time I didn’t go abroad. I certainly learnt my lesson though; it’s a long winter without a few weeks in the sun. I shall be attempting to rectify that this year!

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