The ECB - The fetish with the Ashes

[Fontaine]

http://content.cricinfo.com/engvaus2009/content/current/story/395650.html

Clark row is 'jingoism' - Davidson Andrew Miller March 18, 2009 Leicestershire's chairman, Neil Davidson, has accused the ECB of adopting a "jingoistic" attitude to the forthcoming Ashes series, and believes that the current row surrounding Stuart Clark's impending move to Kent is taking attention away from the real issue in English cricket, the failings within England's own management structure. Senior England officials have strongly criticised counties who have signed Australian national players on short-term contracts ahead of this summer's Ashes, with Geoff Miller, the chairman of selectors, and Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, accusing Kent of self-interest in its pursuit of Clark, the Australian fast bowler who will join Phillip Hughes (Middlesex) in the county ranks this summer. Giles Clarke, the chairman of the ECB, will reportedly contact Kent this week to express his displeasure, while Morris claimed the courting of Clark, revealed by Cricinfo last month, had prompted "dismay" within English cricket. "The decision of Kent to sign Stuart Clark so that he can continue his rehabilitation after injury to enable him to be fit for the Ashes series has been met with dismay throughout the game," Morris told The Guardian. "Of course it is up to Kent which players they sign but it is an incredibly busy and important year for cricket in England and we wish to give the team every chance of regaining the Ashes. We all saw the impetus gained from the 2005 success, which led to greater financial rewards to the counties and increased participation generally. I would have hoped that all counties shared our goal of repeating the 2005 success this season and would allow us every opportunity to succeed." Miller was equally critical of Kent's recruitment strategies. "It's disappointing," Miller told the Times. "My role is not to tell the counties how to run their businesses, but, from an England point of view, it does not help our Ashes situation. We are giving two players the opportunity to use our conditions for the first time in one case and to re-use them and get match practice after injury in the other. "I cannot imagine Australia would do something reciprocal before we go over there next time or any time. I want England and the counties to work as closely as possible and this does not make the relationship closer. I understand why the counties concerned have done this, but it is disappointing." Last week Angus Fraser, Middlesex's director of cricket, told Cricinfo that those who criticised him for signing Hughes should "grow up". He continued: "What should the ECB do next summer? Abolish all comforts for the Australians ahead of the Ashes? Put them in dirty hotels and make them travel on a rickety, old school bus with springs coming out of the seats?

What a bunch of cowardly hypocritical retards. Did these clowns forget that James Anderson went on to play domestic cricket in NZ before their tour there which greatly helped his form into the series? Or how about these idiots not mentioning anything like this when they selected Pattinson for a Test Debut who was an Aussi bowler playing in county cricket but also had English parents? Did they complain when his county signed him? It certainly didn't bother them to select him and give him an English test debut. Or how half their side is filled with part South African, Asian, Australian players? While the Aussies are focused on finishing off the South Africans the ECB is still fixated with some tour in the future that has dominated their every thought for the past two years in the Ashes. Someone needs to remind them that there is an ongoing series being played by their team in WI and are again about to be smacked around in another format of the game.

[DomainK]

The English obsession with the Ashes is legendary. They believe the Ashes is the real cricket....every thing else comes under preparation for the Ashes. Still they win it once in a decade.

[EnterTheVoid]

whats the big deal ? take one for the team, son England doesn't want to part with its ashes secrets. fair enough. we weren't exactly sending Guru Greg a box of chocolates and a bouquet of roses when he migrated to the Australian and publicly spilled the beans on the Indian X1, not that he didn't do enough of that when he was our coach Good thing he nicked off as we experienced unprecedented success since his departure All the morals etc take a back seat. Some situations demand you be ruthlessly selfish and look after your own interests in preparation for bigger glory Seriously, how would you react if Ishant and Zak spilled the beans on reverse swing to the Australian bowlers before the Border - Gavaskar trophy in India ? Its a 1 - 0 game. Its either them or us. Can't exactly be sleeping with the enemy :D

[cowboysfan]

I dont have much sympathy for England and the ECB.when they allow their every decision,their every selection to be influenced by one series then they desrve their current predicament.They might have invented T20 cricket and may have played it domestically longer than anybody else but their shocking ineptitude in that format is almost comical.

[Fontaine]

whats the big deal ? take one for the team, son England doesn't want to part with its ashes secrets. fair enough. we weren't exactly sending Guru Greg a box of chocolates and a bouquet of roses when he migrated to the Australian and publicly spilled the beans on the Indian X1, not that he didn't do enough of that when he was our coach Good thing he nicked off as we experienced unprecedented success since his departure All the morals etc take a back seat. Some situations demand you be ruthlessly selfish and look after your own interests in preparation for bigger glory Seriously, how would you react if Ishant and Zak spilled the beans on reverse swing to the Australian bowlers before the Border - Gavaskar trophy in India ? Its a 1 - 0 game. Its either them or us. Can't exactly be sleeping with the enemy :D

This thread isn't about whether they should include or exclude Aussi players in County Cricket ahead of the ashes. It's about the hypocrisy of benefitting from James Anderson doing it in NZ, selecting an Aussi bowler in Tests like Pattinson, and selecting other South African, Australian, Asian born etc players when it suits them. And it's also about the ECB treating every other tour like it's warm up match leading up to the Ashes. It's going to be especially funny watching these guys get another almighty beating this summer.

[Mr. Wicket]

This is nothing new. Remember 2005, when England were so drunk with celebrations after their once-in-16-yrs Ashes series win that their whole obsession was about how to approach the Ashes defense in Australia in 15 months time... and as a result ended up getting embarrassed overseas in Pakistan and struggling after at home? Or 2003-04, where pretty much any wicket or run scored by Flintoff immediately led to the press wanking off over fantasies of how he'd do in the Ashes? England put way too much emphasis on the Ashes at the expense of all the other cricket going on. Such a shame it's a trophy they're not likely to take back for another decade or so at least. :--D

[Mr. Wicket]

It's going to be especially funny watching these guys get another almighty beating this summer.

Yup. Hopefully dead weight Bung Lee will stay out of the team and let some really hungry, talented bowlers fill in instead (who won't go at 4+ an over and buy wickets at 40 each while feeding on tailenders). Hughes, Johnson, Jaques, Clarke and co. should really cash in.

[Sachinism]

How about worrying about your own team and its talent and try and beat Australia on that rather than hoping their players haven't had match practice or have to pick 2nd team players

[Mr. Wicket]

Have they found a coach yet? Or for that matter, a wicketkeeper who can catch and score runs? Or batsmen who know how to bat in ODIs?