Supporting African Cricket

[butchering lee]

Originally Posted by stone bird

From a few articles written by houghton, i get the impression that neil johnson would only help out if he was paid extremely well for doing so

from the way things ended with him and goodwin that's the impression i got too.

saying that i had a look at these guys wages and in truth they're poor (the incentive scheme seems ok in theory) if my calculations are correct they're about 500 pounds a month - without an inflations clause - surely that can't be right?.

[Paoli]

Well, judging by Clive Field's statement to ZC, the players have a retainer of Z$20 Million a month; the equivalent of about $1050 Aussie Dollars, so about 2500 pounds.

Neil Johnson and Murray Goodwin never had their hearts truly in Zimbabwe, hence why their was no real deliberating as to whether or not they should get out; they weren't offered a good enough contract so they left.

Heath Streak would be the wealthiest of the current Zimbabwean cricketers, but I can understand why a guy like Ervine wants to make a name for himself overseas.

He's on about $45k a year with WA, plus match payments, his bat sponsorship with Gray Nicolls, plus his Hants contract; surely about 40k pounds?

And that can also be put down as the reason why Zimbabwe haven't got a strong team. They've produced good cricketers and still can but the money isn't there. Have a look at Brighton Watambwa; biggest money chaser of them all, these days he's doing work on stocks and bonds in New York, saying "I like the job because it pays pretty". You can't blame these guys; they play for next to nothing in the real world.

[butchering lee]

Originally Posted by Paoli69

Well, judging by Clive Field's statement to ZC, the players have a retainer of Z$20 Million a month; the equivalent of about $1050 Aussie Dollars, so about 2500 pounds.
.

i'm pretty sure $1050 aus. = about 500 pounds which is very little.

it's hard to find fault with "professional" sportmen seeking something better abroad. it's a shame really! i feel this is why most potential cricketers in zim moved on to university and a real salary. i can honestly think of guys in my year at school who were not far off the talents of streak and wishart but...

[stone bird]

surely paoli with you being the biggest ervine fan in the world would know he is sponsored by woodworm!

[Paoli]

Ahh sorry...about 300 pounds, got my conversion rates the bloody wrong way around!

As I said in my above post, my sentiments are the same as bl's. The unfortunate thing is that Zimbabwe can't just change their ways by paying their cricketers more money.

Originally Posted by stone bird

surely paoli with you being the biggest ervine fan in the world you'd know he is sponsored by woodworm!

Wouldn't have had a clue...it was more an example anyway. However, last time I saw him play, he was one of only two players in the side who didn't have Impala as their sponsor, this was in the Tri Series down under a few years back. He had Gray Nicolls and Grant Flower had Slazenger.

[stone bird]

i'm very disappointed paoli.

you bit of an oasis fan as well ay

[Paoli]

yes...are you going to tell me I got a word wrong in my signature Lol!

By the way, none of us were right stone bird...he is sponsored by Somers X Factor



Unless he has signed a recent deal with Woodworm, who only possess Flintoff, Bravo, Pietersen and Muralitharan. Woodworm are doing a bit of an MRF, who only have Lara and Tendulkar.

Anyway back to the original topic Ervine has talent to burn and him being overseas bothers me in the way that he can't play for Zimbabwe anymore but I understand his reasons for it; financial reasons and the fact that his girlfriend wasn't going to live in Zimbabwe.

PS: There's an awful lot of Matty Elliot about that stroke as well.

[Zainub]

For some reason I've never felt the inclination to keep track of bat sponsors of my favorite players.

[butchering lee]

Originally Posted by Paoli69

PS: There's an awful lot of Matty Elliot about that stroke as well.

obviously an in comment there. but is this by any chance a matt elliot of zim (possibly peterhouse) - he was one of those i was thinking of wishart and streak's peers who had some talent..

[Paoli]

Nah, I meant Matt Elliot, former Australian opening batsman. I'll get a photo up of him soon. I have heard of Matt Elliot of Zimbabwe, don't think he is in the country.