English Cricket

[gzagee]

The Windies were either the second or third choice for this hastily arranged series.
Some of their players would be playing IPL if not for their cricket board accepting England's SOS...
And when you think how many years they toil playing test cricket for not very much, you may understand some of the resentment at having to forego big paydays for a month of cold and rain in Blighty.

Test cricket, being an international sport, should always take precedence over club level sport, however lucrative it might be. Test cricket is still what "makes" the players.

And as many of the England team would be over playing IPL as the Windies team and we haven't heard them complaining

You cannot compare the amount of money the English players make even from playing domestic cricket to those of the Windies. Much less IPL.
Plus, plus, England were expecting to play a series now. It's been in their calendar all year. The Windies players were expecting to play club cricket to earn an extra crust.
They get paid morsels from in Windies cricket board by cricketing standards. Probably why they hammered England in the Standford farce when they saw $10m prize money (or whatever the prize was).

[Smeagol]

You cannot compare the amount of money the English players make even from playing domestic cricket to those of the Windies. Much less IPL.

Plus, plus, England were expecting to play a series now. It's been in their calendar all year. The Windies players were expecting to play club cricket to earn an extra crust.
They get paid morsels from in Windies cricket board by cricketing standards. Probably why they hammered England in the Standford farce when they saw $10m prize money (or whatever the prize was).

The Windies will get more per man for playing over here than they would playing anywhere other than the IPL. In fact, were they not here, chances are half of them would be playing in the CC anyway.

I agree that the WICB is useless. But the simple fact remains that nobody is making them play test cricket. If Gayle wants to f**k off to the IPL, that is his choice. But as a test captain he should not be saying what he has.

In fact a quick google search brings up this article - http://www.sportsjamaica.com/read_article.php?id=15188 - which suggests they aren't losing out -

"On the tour of England, WICB has offered a significantly higher payment to players - over and above that which would normally have been paid on such a tour - including a special provision for contracted IPL players to mitigate against any loss of earnings," said Hunte.

[gzagee]

I agree Gayle was a tw*t for coming out and saying that.
But I think there's so much resentment between the WICB and the players that it's a tour party under a cloud.

It is a meaningless test series for the Windies though. Pretty much like when England Rugby Union go to the Southern Hemisphere at the end of the season and get pummelled before getting wasted in the local nightspots.

[rogerthornhill]

302-2 is hardly a bad position if you are an Englishman.

That's true but when similarly dead pitches were prepared out in the West Indies the English touring party were complaining very loudly about it.

[Smeagol]

That's true but when similarly dead pitches were prepared out in the West Indies the English touring party were complaining very loudly about it.

And rightly so, it is bad for cricket to have such lifeless pitches. Unfortunately, it is become more common.

We'll wait until the Windies have batted before we can really judge (if it ever stops raining). They were getting some spiteful bounce towards the end of the day yesterday. I think part of the issue they have is that they just aren't that good.

[VCC]

NZ could actually win this last test and take a series win funny how England never tour NZ well although the playing conditions pitches etc are probably more like England than anywhere else in the world of cricket

[Royal Gooner]

NZ could actually win this last test and take a series win funny how England never tour NZ well although the playing conditions pitches etc are probably more like England than anywhere else in the world of cricket

I blame it on the selectors continuously choosing Panasar over Tredwell.

[GSK_AFC]

NZ could actually win this last test and take a series win funny how England never tour NZ well although the playing conditions pitches etc are probably more like England than anywhere else in the world of cricket

I blame it on the selectors continuously choosing Panasar over Tredwell.

Panesar>Swann>Tredwell

[Yorkyblue]

I don't think it will be easy as it looked it would be.

Stayed up the last 2 nights for it but don't think I'll be able to tonight.

[GSK_AFC]

In other news, a rather young Indian side thrashed the Aussies 4-0.

[Yorkyblue]

In other news, a rather young Indian side thrashed the Aussies 4-0.

I think I could get a team together to win the Ashes this summer.

EDIT: Don't mean that in a way to knock your boys by the way/

[VCC]

NZ still needing 4 wickets and they are looking likely they are bowling well.

[VCC]

FFS third catch NZ have put down this innings

[VCC]

seven down now at the tea break one session to get three wickets come on the BlackCaps

[VCC]

one hour or fifteen overs to go 3 wickets needed