It was confirmed earlier in the week that Warwickshire have terminated their interest in signing Shuan Pollock for the forthcoming season. It was felt that his commitments in the IPL would mean he would only be available for the latter half of the season. This follows on from news a few weeks ago that Shane Warne would not be playing for Hampshire until July or August due to IPL and other personal commitments.
Showing posts with label Shaun Pollock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shaun Pollock. Show all posts
Friday, 22 February 2008
Thursday, 24 January 2008
No news is no news
The Evening Mail have an article today, saying Warwickshire expect to hear in the next week whether Shaun Pollock will accept a contract offer to play for them next season.
Its not really news at all, but if the Mail is running with it I better mention it here. Giles talks about some stuff as well. Such as expecting good bowlers to take wickets and hoping not so good bowlers take some as well.
I can't believe there is still 80 odd days until the cricket starts. I might stay up to listen to India v Australia on the internet.... I wonder if there is anywhere carrying live TV coverage of the Sri Lanka domestic competition?....
Friday, 18 January 2008
The Daily Pollock
So another day, no more really concrete news and yet I am writing another blog entry. Imagine if I was gainfully employed to sell newspapers? It would be even worse.
George (I feel we are on first name terms now after he appears to be considering me a source of forthright and well informed opinion on WCCC and is writing responses to my theorising in the Post, in a reciprocal manner to me ripping off all his stories and adding my own two pence - me? delusioned? Not a bit of it!). Anyway George (Dobell) has closed the book on the Zondeki signing and echoed my thoughts yesterday that he is almost certain to be in the squad for the SA tests this summer and therefore IF Pollock is signed there will only be a few games when they are both likely to be in the same team for Warwickshire.
Zondeki aparently added the illuminating comments: "The opportunity to work under Ashley Giles and bowling coach Allan Donald is too good to refuse. This promises to be a huge year for the Bears." In my head he went on to add the made up comments: "Its important to put the ball in the right areas. I feel its coming out nicely. My action is feeling really natural. AD will help me add some hostility to my game. The Edgbaston crowd generates a special atmosphere. They're a great bunch of lads in the dressing room." There is a possibility that the first set are as made up as the second.
George concludes; "Meanwhile, a host of counties have expressed an interest in signing Pollock. All will be disappointed. He has assured Giles that if he returns to county cricket, he would prefer to play at Edgbaston. The contractual details might take some time to resolve, but it is surely a question of 'when' not 'if' Pollock returns to Warwickshire."
Which sounds quite promising, but again does not add a great deal to Pollock's public comments from earlier in the week.
George - if you do read this blog (which would make a total of 4 people) then please refer to Pollock as "Polly" somewhere in your next article. It's a little out of keeping with your usual style, but not unduly so and It'll only be the two of us that'll know. Alternatively please refer to Pollock as "an old warhorse". Many thanks for your support George - it means a lot.
Thursday, 17 January 2008
Zondeki and Pollock signings "close"
George Dobell is reporting in the Post this afternoon that the deal to bring Monde Zondeki to Edgbaston should be completed today. While Cricinfo is reporting it as a done deal. George Dobell also reports that International duty with South Africa might mean he misses the first match of the season (against Worcestershire).
Also encouragingly Shaun Pollock is believed to have given a verbal assurance to Giles that if there is place for him at Edgbaston he will not be going elsewhere. This looks like being on a season long kolpak deal, however as far as I am aware he has commitments with the IPL Twenty20 tournament in India, which runs in April and possibly into May. So it is likely he will miss the first few weeks of the season as well.
It appears that Dobell has been faithfully reading the Raggy Bear, as I can only assume his comments regarding the irony/moral dilemma faced by Giles with the potential signing of Pollock following on from his pledge not to sign kolpaks; "His words and actions do not contrast quite as much as some might suggest". I can only think he must be referring to my post earlier in the week, where I pointed out the problem Giles has, which is largely restricted to a personal moral dilemma and one entirely of his own making.
I think the whole thing is probably a reflection of the relative inexperience Giles has in dealing with the media as a leader/figurehead (director of cricket), rather than a part of a larger entity (player for England/Warwickshire). It may well be that his comments have been reported out of context, or given undue weight, but in the 4 or 5 interviews where he has been quoted this winter he has consistently given soundbites/quotes promising no kolpak signings. Obviously he was referring to the likes of Alfonso Thomas and other journeymen on the circuit, not to players of the quality of Shaun Pollock. No sensible person would oppose the signing of Pollock, regardless of any commitments/comments/promises they believe Giles may have made, or on the basis it is likely to be a kolpak signing. Quite apart from anything else the rule to reduce counties to one overseas player is ridiculous when it is possible to sign so many inferior non-England qualified players. For this season it will likely mean that every Warwickshire player is technically England qualified, apart from two top class South African bowlers, which I for one wholly support.
I will also not lose too much sleep over the possibility of some of the younger seemers having reduced oppurtunities. Purely because I only expect both of the overseas players to be available for about 4-5 championship games (in May-June), neither to be available for the opening game. Furthermore there is now a proven bowling coach in place, coupled with the fact that having a chance to see how a bowler and cricketer of the class of Shaun Pollock conducts himself on a cricket field can only be a good thing. The biggest gap in the team was a senior seam bowler, I don't feel it is job Neil Carter can necessarily do.
More rumours on Pollock
Cricinfo are reporting this morning that Yorkshire and Sussex have registered in interest in signing Shaun Pollock, although Warwickshire still remain favourites. The Telegraph is also saying Sussex have been in negotiations with him since before Christmas (in an article about Warne's poker commitments!), which is a little odd. Sussex already have their one overseas for this season (Mushtaq Ahmed) confirmed way back in September time, so could only sign further non-English players as kolpaks. You can't sign a kolpak who is a current international, so it does raise the question of why a county who already have an overseas player are talking to a current international, with a view to getting them as a kolpak player. Seems a very strange state of affairs.
I know Warwickshire aren't exactly the model of non-Kolpak players and certainly aren't a model of taking local born talent and developing it (a plausible 11 from next season could contain 7 players born overseas - Trott, Ambrose, Botha, Carter, Groenewald, Zondeki, Pollock), but I think it's a bit much for Yorkshire to attempt to have a side containing both Rudolph and Pollock as kolpak signings. Its just not cricket.
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