5 Comments

Well said Manners.

Expand full comment

Similar case in Adam Zampa and he seems all the better for it. Totally agree with the less is more approach.

The idea of a professional cricketers earning potential being short and therefore needing to be maximised has quickly become an excuse for many professionals to use to the detriment of their national contracts. Remember, these are the contracts that cover their physio, rehab, mental health, training routines, nutrition and in general have more security than any franchise contract. Noting that some top players are now signing multi-year franchise contracts and good for them, great idea and well overdue.

It's worth noting that the 10-15 year earning potential for even a middling professional cricketer will be in the millions and although I completely back their right to chase those millions it feels a bit on the nose when they use this reason for not turning out for their national side after all that has been done to help them get there. Is this what it was like in the days of the goldrush, every man for himself, and the rest be damned?

Keep up the amazing writing Manners, quality stuff.

Expand full comment
author

Many thanks for your reply, Cole. You make excellent and valid points. Zampa has a wonderful 'differentness' to him which I love. People laugh at me for believing that cricket is so different to any other profession and most other sports. It's unforgiving and harsh (in terms of results). Of course there will be mercenaries who can treat it like a factory conveyor belt, but I think they will always be in the minority. As always, I accept that I might be wrong!

Expand full comment

In this day and age, players have become T20 mercenaries. This is the height of professionalism. Let's see for how long can the BCCI be an outlier

Expand full comment

Thank you Tristan Stubbs for sticking with the Proteas. Another budding test career that's being curtailed by too few matches (Kagiso!). I really hope Marco Jansen chooses similar and gets his form back soon. We need these gems.

Expand full comment