Would England recognise a young Glenn McGrath

[acker]

This is the biggest thing that I dont think English cricket is doing, that is throwing out a big enough net to capture potential international players.
Sure you have got the county system but I challenge you is it designed for the well coached private school kids ex Eton or the variables of like type school's rather than a kid from Millwall or Liverpool just going to a government run school who has not had the benefit of the coaching the private schools offer.
The first question I ask is does England want a squad of players picked from a egalatarian system or does England want a squad of elite players picked from a priveliged upbringing with better coaching.
The australian example I have picked out is Glenn McGrath who almost escaped the australian net exept destiny and fortune stepped in.
In the early 90's a young raw 17yo Glenn McGrath got picked to play in a Central West New South Wales representative team to play an invitational team in Dubbo N.S.W approx 340 km west of Sydney. Young Glenn was picked from the Narromine side about 100 km west of Dubbo. At this stage Glenn was not destined for anything other than being a good future bowler in Central West N.S.W.
This is where destiny and fortune comes to the unsuspecting young Glenn. He plays a reasonably good match and bowls fairly well. One batsman he bowls to just happens to be Doug Walters. A few days after the game an obviously impressed Doug makes a few phone call's then rings Glenn and his mum Mrs McGrath and asks how she would feel if her boy moves down to Sydney. Doug obviously is a convincing character because Mrs McGrath agrees but the McGraths are not the richest people in the world and dont accept charity, but they work it out. Glenn moves into a "caravan park" in Sydney gets a job as a bank teller with the Commonwealth Bank and plays for a Southern Sydney metro team. Glenn happily lives in his onsite caravan for a few years and probably resents hearing the term "trailer park trash". I remember seeing Glenn and his mum who is only about half his size on a talk show here in the mid 90's and was left with the impression that these are good down to earth country folk who would rather do you a good turn than even contemplate doing you a bad one.
But would Glenn have got into the English net considering exept for a fortunate run in with someone who cared Glenn might have escaped the Australian net.
How wide do the county clubs nets go, does elitism come into play in certain districts or at certain levels. If Glenn McGrath lived in Millwall or Liverpool would he have been discovered.
You tell me.

[Milo]

Many of England best players have come from the state school system. A look at Cricketers Who's Who tells you of the academic underachievement of the likes of Gooch (who went to a comprehensive school in Leytonstowe), Ramprakash and Botham.

I'm sure Harmison didn't get his colours from Durham School and Keble College. It's not all David Gower and Atherton here you know.

And what about the over-privileged Flintoff????

Fact remains, if someone as good as McGrath (one of the all-time greats) grew up in Millwall, he'd be discovered (if he wanted to play cricket - which is another debate)

[Notts Exile]

Not sure why I'm responding, that was a pretty condescending post. Not knowing the facts leaves one looking silly sometimes doesn't it???

[acker]

Originally Posted by Milo

Many of England best players have come from the state school system. A look at Cricketers Who's Who tells you of the academic underachievement of the likes of Gooch (who went to a comprehensive school in Leytonstowe), Ramprakash and Botham.

I'm sure Harmison didn't get his colours from Durham School and Keble College. It's not all David Gower and Atherton here you know.

And what about the over-privileged Flintoff????

Fact remains, if someone as good as McGrath (one of the all-time greats) grew up in Millwall, he'd be discovered (if he wanted to play cricket - which is another debate)

You make them sound like diseased pet's

[Speedboy Salesman]

Originally Posted by acker

You make them sound like diseased pet's

What?


How can you say things like that?

Flintoff and a lot of the England squad aren't the "traditional" style of cricket all that pipe smoking, butler ordering lot. I bet if you took a stroll you probably wouldn't find a lot of crumpet waving going on. Even before the current squad, look at people like Darren Gough, I don't think he sounds very upper class!

[cantplaycantalk]

Well up here in the frozen north most of our kids don't do private education and the ones who do get the airs and graces beaten out of them when they turn up to practice. But to give you an idea

Mark Davies (possibly the English equivalent of McGrath) Stockton 6th form College (State school)
Paul Collingwood Blackfyne Comprehensive (State school)
Steve Harmison Ashington Community High School (State school)
Liam Plunkett Nunthorpe Comprehensive (State School)
Greame Onions Thomas Moore RC Blaydon (Semi posh grant aided)
So out of 5 Durham players with the best ability only one went to a grant maintained school and none were privately educated.

[A Walking Wicket]

But we have found a Glenn Mcgrath and his name is Stuart Broad.

Also nice to hear about my old school mentioned in the previous post (Nunthorpe Comprehensive). Oh how that takes me back to the goold old days all those years ago!