Foreign players start counting their days in county circuit

ECB directive, limiting participation to just one player from April 2008, has two sides to the same coin

When the England and Wales Cricket Board8217;s ECB directive to have just one overseas player per team in the existing county circuit comes into force from the 2008 season, the famous Tebbit Test will have earned part of its due. The Conservative politican, Norman Tebbit, was worried about the divided loyalties among the Asian immigrants in the UK.

Tebbit felt that a large proportion of Britain8217;s Asian population failed to pass the cricket test when it came to cheering for a side. He posed a simple but intricate question: Are you still harking back to where you came from or where you are?8221;

Though the question may not be relevant in county context, ECB seems to have answered it in some way. After years of deliberation, English counties would be signing just one overseas player from the next season. Understandably, the decision 8212; it gives a decent opportunity to local upcoming players at first class level 8212; has got a good backing from first division counties.

However, for the lesser ones like Leicestershire and Hampshire, the option has come as a blow, because they feel that the decision could affect gatemoney and other sponsorship deals.

Most of these counties have a large Asian presence and signing a player from India or Pakistan always ensures more spectators at their ground.

On the other hand, national selector David Graveney had a different point of view. His concern was about the dwindling bench strength. 8220;The available pool at county level is very limited and it is difficult to choose for England as there are too many foreigners around.8221;

In that context, it makes sense for the ECB to force the counties to sign just one overseas player. In other words, the counties would not only save thousands of pounds which they spend on hiring top foreign players, they can also help breed local cricketers with more and better opportunities.

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There are 198 positions up for grabs in a first division county season and, as Paul Maylard-Mason, chief executive of the Leicestershire County Club, put it, only 18 to 20 spots will now go to foreigners. According to former fast bowler Devon Malcolm, this rule will also stop English counties from acting as a finishing school for foreign players before they move on to the Test level.

Of course, there is a flip side to it. The crowd may fast disappear from stadiums, making a big dent in revenues for lesser counties. But, more than revenues, it might even take the competitive edge out of county cricket.

The match between India and Sri Lanka A here has seen nearly a 4,000-strong crowd. 8220;But on any other day you can simply count out 3,000 of them. I can tell you 90 per cent of this crowd this time is first-timers,8221; said Maylard-Mason.

The head of the Essex County, David East, felt the same when the Indians played their second practice match at Chelmsford. 8220;This is what a big Indian cricketer can do to the match 8212; attract big crowds,8221; he said.

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8220;The story is similar here,8221; added Timothy Tremlett, a director at Hampshire and father of current England medium-pacer Chris.

RP Singh, who went on an autograph-signing spree at Leicester, is what Virender Sehwag was in 2003, and local fans 8212; regardless of the player8217;s stature 8212; view him as one among them.