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equatorMy lack of love for South Africa is well documented.
And I feel sorry for Kent.
They got the raw deal from the BCCi and CA over the champions league.
They fell apart in the 2020 final.
They got relegated from Division one in bizarre circumstances.
And I like Joe Denly.
But perhaps they deserve everything they get.
They signed Ryan McLaren, a young South African who can play, on a Kolpak deal for 3 years.
He does a lot of bowling and he does a bit of batting, and in county cricket he does them pretty well.
So South Africa in need of one players who are actually exciting, gave Ryan a call.
And he says sure, I’ll play for my country, just let me tear up that contract I signed that said I won’t play for my country.
But Kent said no.
The new division 2 team took advantage of a loop hole in county cricket, and instead of going the gentlemanly thing, and helping out a young cricketer, they are putting the squeeze on him.
Now Ryan is not blameless here, what sort of an Idiot signs a contract that says he can’t play for his country for 3 years.
It’s not like this is IPL money, sure he would be comfortable with Kent, but he will make a lot more money as an International cricketer, which he has the talent to become.
Kent signed a 25 year old, this isn’t some crusty old man, and they must have known that with his performances for them he was a chance to play for his country.
So why be assholes about it.
According to Kent they have built the team around him.
Not whiz kid Joe Denly, proper quick Robbie Joseph, captain pie eater Rob Key, or the MVP of county cricket Van Jaarsveld.
If I was Ryan I would feign a back injury or insist on bowling left arm orthodox to piss them off, although, I probably wouldn’t sign anything that said I couldn’t play for my country for 3 years.
Legally I am sure Kent is in the right to keep him, but morally, this is fucked up, people dream of playing for their country, not honouring 3 year deals for Kent.
Maybe the kid made a mistake, but Kent need to get over it, and let him play for his country.
Sure Sarah from Canterbury will support Kent – but am saddened that a county team would choose build its team round a Kolpak player – but given their preference they should fit in nicely in the second div with Leics and Northants….
As an Essex fan I’m less than fond of Kent anyway but now I have an actual reason to dislike them.
Kent aren’t all that bad – they have 4 players in the England development squad, so although I don’t approve of beefing a team with kolpacks for the sake of it, they are doing the job of making a team that provides support for England players to come through.
Macca – tough titties! If he wasn’t savvy enough to get some kind of get out clause – or even just a more suck it and see shorter contract…..not ambitious enough to play for his Country then was he. [and wasn’t he one of the can qualify for England in x years..types?] Moral if you want to play for a country, any country you might just end up playing for none! He’s 25, the kid has time, perhaps when his brain catches up with him?