No longer blessed

[Googly]

Henderson was the first Kolpak player. Within five years, 50 more followed. The ECB tried to turn back the tide. They brought in a rule that no Kolpak player could have played international cricket in the year before he had signed. But this was challenged, and overturned, when Yorkshire signed Jacques Rudolph in 2007. So the ECB started charging fees to teams who included more than two Kolpak players in any one match. This didn’t work either. By 2008, in an infamous game between Leicestershire and Northamptonshire in a Friends Provident Trophy match at Wantage Road, 12 of the 22 players were South Africans on Kolpak deals.

In 2009, the ECB finally found a fix. They concocted a another new rule which meant that only players who had held a valid work permit for four years would be able to sign Kolpak deals, unless, like Viljoen, Harmer, and Van Zyl, they had played one Test match in the past two years or five in the past five. Since the ECB made that change, the debate has settled down, and the number of Kolpaks on the county circuit has declined. Today the ECB say it is around 3-4% of the domestic/non-overseas registered playing base. This latest flurry of fresh Kolpak signings is down to three things: the weak Rand, the increase in quotas in South African cricket, and Brexit.

One of the many little issues that went unreckoned during the referendum campaign – incredible, this, since there can scarcely have been many more important things to consider – was what the result would mean for county cricket. But the Kolpak players themselves, like many other migrant workers in the country, soon began wondering where the result left them. The day after the vote, Brendan Taylor, on a Kolpak deal with Nottinghamshire, asked the ECB for guidance. They’re waiting to hear from the Home Office. In the meantime, cricketers are working under the assumption that any Kolpak deal signed before the end of 2017 won’t be affected by Brexit. A race is on, then, to hitch up with a county club before the door is shut.

The South African economy is weak, and the government has started pursuing an “aggressive” transformation policy, so players in South Africa have two good reasons to leave – income and opportunity. In 2015 Viljoen was weighing up an offer to move to New Zealand. He decided at the time: “I don’t want to have second best. You get brought up in your country to play for your country.” He’s now played one Test, against England, and seems to have changed his mind. There is talk of an “exodus” of top talent, though the player drain isn’t yet as bad as the one affecting South African rugby.

Even as the Kolpak system winds down, it’s still unclear after all these years whether it has improved English cricket or not. There are good arguments on both sides. The standard improved because there were better players on the circuit, but by being here those same players denied opportunities to young English players. What is clear, though, is that it has undermined South African cricket. Piedt counts as a “player of colour” in the quota system. If he and others like him sign, the situation will get trickier still. As for the man himself, Maros Kolpak is 39, and still playing handball. Only now he’s back in Slovakia. The Wisden Almanack tracked him for an interview in 2005. It was the first he’d heard that he’d become so famous, and he seemed to be tickled by the idea. He’d never intended to change anyone else’s life, he said, but “did it for myself”.

[Googly]

This article in the Irish Times explains it well.
One test in the last two years or 5 in the last 5, otherwise you need to have had a work permit for 4 years.

[jaybro]

This article in the Irish Times explains it well.
One test in the last two years or 5 in the last 5, otherwise you need to have had a work permit for 4 years.

So we can all relax Blessing had already qualified for a Kolpak deal before the Pakistan series.

[ZIMDOGGY]

This article in the Irish Times explains it well.
One test in the last two years or 5 in the last 5, otherwise you need to have had a work permit for 4 years.

So we can all relax Blessing had already qualified for a Kolpak deal before the Pakistan series.

thats even worse.

He had every reason to boycott as he stood to lose nothing.

That to me means he completely agreed with the board.

[jaybro]

This article in the Irish Times explains it well.
One test in the last two years or 5 in the last 5, otherwise you need to have had a work permit for 4 years.

So we can all relax Blessing had already qualified for a Kolpak deal before the Pakistan series.

thats even worse.

He had every reason to boycott as he stood to lose nothing.

That to me means he completely agreed with the board.

So one minute you’re accusing him of only playing to reach his quota for a Kolpak deal and now he must agree with the board because he played in the series?

Only 6 players decided not to play, as much as I backed those guys I’m not ready to throw the others under the bus without knowing the full story.

Looking at the facts that have been reported the 6 guys only boycotted because they hadn’t been paid, now they’ve been paid they’re all training again. In hindsight the strike was a waste of time it achieved nothing.

If they had striked because they weren’t happy with how the game is being run that would be different and they would still be striking.

[Googly]

I’m sure that’s not true. Firstly they’ve sent a clear message that they will do it again if they don’t get paid and we can’t afford this to happen again, so hopefully ZC will now ensure the players get paid on time. That in itself is a major victory.
I think what happened contributed to the ICC stepping in and that’s also a good thing. Obviously they shouldn’t have to, but if these guys can’t be gotten rid of them they need to be controlled. The wholesale theft will be reduced to major pilfering

[jaybro]

Zimfan1 tweeted that there are reports the deal may fall through ?

[Kriterion_BD]

Zimfan1 tweeted that there are reports the deal may fall through ?

Blessing's Kolpak deal? Any reason why? Brexit perhaps...?

[ZIMDOGGY]

So we can all relax Blessing had already qualified for a Kolpak deal before the Pakistan series.

thats even worse.

He had every reason to boycott as he stood to lose nothing.

That to me means he completely agreed with the board.

So one minute you’re accusing him of only playing to reach his quota for a Kolpak deal and now he must agree with the board because he played in the series?

Opposite!
I accused him of selling out from the get go. It was a cautious accusation as I thought maybe he needed the extra couple of games to seal the deal (he would have even paid to play himself if this is the case) in which case I’d understand why he chose not to strike.
However in this thread we have now learnt his deal was done. Pen put to paper and he’s qualified. So he had NOTHING to lose by striking. He was out two weeks later anyway. The guys who strikes sacrificed a lot, he could have made a real difference here (being a young black up n comer) and helped his comrades, and experienced no backlash, but he was too weak to do it. I’d have understood his position if he has nothing else in life. He had a county contract on the table though.
Fugg his string bean looking ass, I hope his kolpak falls through. Karma.

[eugene]

Muzarabani should have striked, but clearly didn't care as he was buggering off anyway. Thought he may as well pitch up for a few more dollars and a KFC voucher before heading to greener pastures.