As anyone who has been following the sports news will be aware the Durham v Yorks 20:20 game was called off because their young spinner Azeem Rafiq was apparently ineligible (or according to Nasser Hussain, illegible - presumably this is because his doosra is unreadable). This is probably the biggest ****-up I've heard of in sports.
For Yorkshire's final 20:20 game they were without centrally contracted Michael Vaughan and decided to call-up from their Academy the young mystery spinner Azeem Rafiq from their academy. Apparently Rafiq was registered with the ECB under the Yorkshire Academy but not for first class cricket (or presumably 20:20 cricket which isn't first class). The ECB however were clearly aware of the 17 year old Rafiq, as he had previously not just played for England at under 15 level but CAPTAINED England.
Yorkshire should be commended for playing their academy products. They should be commended for having produced AND played an England under-15 captain. They should be commended for encouraging a young spinner who can turn it both directions. They should be commended for encouraging the Asian immigrant population to play. They shouldn't be punished for the current England captain being withdrawn by the ECB.
The fact that Yorkshire were prevented from playing on the same day that Northamptonshire fielded SIX South Africans (plus an Australian and an Irishman) makes it even worse.
For the game in question, Yorkshire fielded no overseas player (their official overseas player Pakistani international Rana Naved didn't play), although Jacques Rudolph and Gerard Brophy are both blatantly South African, Rudolph in particular has played for South Africa. Both play under the Kolpak rules. However their opponents fielded an Australian international (Voges) as their overseas player, plus two Kiwi internationals (Andre pie-chucker Adams and Chris Cairns) plus a Grimsby born fast bowler with a suspicious Aussie twang (Pattinson).
Shame on you ECB. Academy players should be allowed to be fielded without any additional paperwork. You should ensure you captains of England are actually English. As superb as Essex's performance was, it was a dark, dark day for English cricket.
For Yorkshire's final 20:20 game they were without centrally contracted Michael Vaughan and decided to call-up from their Academy the young mystery spinner Azeem Rafiq from their academy. Apparently Rafiq was registered with the ECB under the Yorkshire Academy but not for first class cricket (or presumably 20:20 cricket which isn't first class). The ECB however were clearly aware of the 17 year old Rafiq, as he had previously not just played for England at under 15 level but CAPTAINED England.
Yorkshire should be commended for playing their academy products. They should be commended for having produced AND played an England under-15 captain. They should be commended for encouraging a young spinner who can turn it both directions. They should be commended for encouraging the Asian immigrant population to play. They shouldn't be punished for the current England captain being withdrawn by the ECB.
The fact that Yorkshire were prevented from playing on the same day that Northamptonshire fielded SIX South Africans (plus an Australian and an Irishman) makes it even worse.
For the game in question, Yorkshire fielded no overseas player (their official overseas player Pakistani international Rana Naved didn't play), although Jacques Rudolph and Gerard Brophy are both blatantly South African, Rudolph in particular has played for South Africa. Both play under the Kolpak rules. However their opponents fielded an Australian international (Voges) as their overseas player, plus two Kiwi internationals (Andre pie-chucker Adams and Chris Cairns) plus a Grimsby born fast bowler with a suspicious Aussie twang (Pattinson).
Shame on you ECB. Academy players should be allowed to be fielded without any additional paperwork. You should ensure you captains of England are actually English. As superb as Essex's performance was, it was a dark, dark day for English cricket.
