2006 English Domestic Season Build-up

[Quagmire]

A lot of cricketers from around the world go and play in England during there off season, where do the english players go to play during there winter?

[Andy Mellon]

There's various options Rowan. Some players will get on the full or A Tours, thus accounting for their whole winter.

Alternatively, some players will gain entry to the national cricket academy in Loughborough.

Some players (I know a lot of Essex's do) will go and train at overseas academies such as the Madras Cricket Academy.

Others still will play domestic cricket overseas. Charlie Shreck has played for Wellington and Min Patel has played for Central Districts in NZ, Graham Thorpe has been working with NSW.

Even more will play club cricket abroad - Will Jefferson has played for Papatoetoe in NZ, and the majority of the best players in English County Cricket will go down this route.

Others will have their own vocations in the off-season. I think Andrew Caddick is a plasterer, and I'm guessing a lot of the lesser names will spend their off seasons earning some extra money!

[Teatime FatCat]

Now that wold make a good thread! What jobs have cricketers got over the winter?

[Paoli]

Sorry to steal your thunder TTFC but I'm really Pis'sed off with the way the overseas rule works.

IMO, you have two players and two players only. Not Smith for two months, Kumble for a fortnight, Steve Fleming for a month, Kallis for one match and Akhtar for the remainder of the season.

On second thoughts maybe a list of three so that if one gets injured somebody can replace them. But seriously, it's stupid that counties just get all these eight or nine test players who are going to share duties for a month each.

As Rowan says, you could get guys like Jim Maher or even Cameron White for your county. And they'll be there the whole time!

[Quagmire]

Yeh we have a few county and ex county players who play in our club level, Steve Chapman, Oliver Newby, Danny Law just to name a couple off the top of my head. I dont know why more English players dont play Australian State Cricket. Does anyone know if there is any rulings on international players playing Pura Cup.

[Paoli]

Not that I know of...

Seeing as Blignaut and Ervine just signed with a click of a finger a few years back I'd say there's no ruling at all.

[Collyisamackem]

Just read on the Beeb that James Franklin has signed for Glamorgan to replace Mike Kasprowicz, and joins Cosgrove as their second overseas player:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cric...an/4852260.stm

[Teatime FatCat]

Good signing and a good player. I wish we'd gone for him!

[Collyisamackem]

Maybe, have Styris and Louw impressed? I heard good things about Louw last season. I see you guys signed Chris Silverwood recently.
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/engla...ry/243632.html

[adamberry]

Isn't Silverwood struggling to get released from his contract at Yorkshire? It was a few days ago I heard this, and it might have been sorted out.