while we're on the subject...

[butchering lee]

should we discuss this teatimefatcat obsevation?

"Taibu has apparently signed for Surrey club Pyrford. Whilst this allows the guy to carry on playing, it seems faintly riduculous to me. This is a test quality batsman / keeper, what on eartt is he doing there?"

now i do wonder too. friend (no mug) got a kolpak contract as did ervine (showed a lot of potential i know) but taibu showed as much surely so where did he go wrong??

[Paoli]

Becoming a wicketkeeper is alot harder than getting a normal contract, i.e playing one. Travis Friend, well I hope he does well but always found quite a few deficiencies in his very talented game. Worst line and length bowler I've ever seen.

Though surely he's one of the best 18??? It seems strange to me, IMO he should've gone to South Africa.

[cantplaycantalk]

Bad timing, he's come to England just when the counties have completed the team recruitment for 2006 and at the same time that "incentives" have been introduced for playing more England qualified players in the first team.

Any county picking him up now on a Kolpak would have to add his wage bill and the lost revenue for England qualified player (he would have to play) to the minus side on the balance sheet.

My guess is that a few are looking interested but my instinct is that he will join one of them in 2007.
Until then it is Lashings and local leagues.