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[ppccopener]

While I agree it's not great that English young players potentially miss out, doesn't it raise the standard of the CC with all these international players coming in?

Thats a very interesting question and one that doesnt have an easy answer.
Overseas players have always been in the game(kolpak is not overseas of course but you get the jist)
Richards(both barry and viv) haynes,donald,wasim and waqar,saqlain,crowe...the list goes on, only someone without a brain would argue they did not raise standards in the County game.

And County cricket is the only way in to the test side for young english pro's.Hameed perhaps a good example and Root....

Years back most counties had 2 overseas players....they helped get fans watching the game.

Kolpac is a legal loophole so the waters got muddied when it came into force.
Im sure there are healthy different views on the forum...

Take out Kolpak..you could go back to two overseas players of high class like it used to be..
But that's not possible at the moment

Be interesting to see others views on here...as it always is 

[adb club cricketer]

The international stars playing in the clubs would certainly raise the standard of the league and help the players they play for and against. I would think the advantages of having these players in the club far outweigh the disadvantages that a few English players might miss out of a chance to play.  If any, it would put more competition towards selection into playing XI which is not such a bad thing IMO.

[iand123]

Take out Kolpak..you could go back to two overseas players of high class like it used to be..
But that's not possible at the moment

Even with Kolpak out of the way i cant see a return to two overseas players for a whole season. I suspect it will end up with two overseas but the two people changing throughout the season with t20 leagues such as the CPL in the middle of the english season

[Sivlar13]

Just been peering down the list of County in & outs and have seen that Abbott and Rossouw are by no means the only South Africans signing on a Kolpak deal.

The list altogether is:

Kyle Abbott
Rilee Rossouw
Hardus Vilijoen
Simon Harmer
Stiaan Van Zyl
David Wiese

Now the Marchant De Lange on the way to Glamorgan potentially too, that's 7 players who have all played international cricket for South Africa in 2016, the oldest being 31 I believe. This exodus is insane!

[edge]

Just been peering down the list of County in & outs and have seen that Abbott and Rossouw are by no means the only South Africans signing on a Kolpak deal.

The list altogether is:

Kyle Abbott
Rilee Rossouw
Hardus Vilijoen
Simon Harmer
Stiaan Van Zyl
David Wiese

Now the Marchant De Lange on the way to Glamorgan potentially too, that's 7 players who have all played international cricket for South Africa in 2016, the oldest being 31 I believe. This exodus is insane!

Getting genuinely close to a South Africa A side! Rumours Dane Vilas is going too. This lot must have played A team cricket together at some point, the Kolpakshire XI looks strong:
1
2
3 Roussow
4 Van Zyl
5
6 Wiese
7 Vilas ?
8 Harmer
9 Abbott
10 Viljoen
11 De Lange ?

[Sivlar13]

Count the two that are already Kolpaked into the county game:

1
2 Ingram
3 Roussow
4 Van Zyl
5 McLaren
6 Wiese
7 Vilas ?
8 Harmer
9 Abbott
10 Viljoen
11 De Lange ?

Just need one more!

[edge]

Easily filled if we include a couple of Saffers with UK passports or other Kolpakers, I've dropped Mclaren though. Not a bad side!

1 Brendan Taylor
2 Ingram
3 Roussow
4 Van Zyl
5 Rudolph
6 Wiese
7 Vilas ?
8 Harmer
9 Abbott
10 Viljoen
11 De Lange ?

[ppccopener]

notice you don't have Dernbach in the side @edge

is that because he's not good enough to get in this SA side......

he's Kolpack right?

[mvclayton]

I'm fairly sure Levi and Kleinveldt from Northants are both now Kolpak too.

[ppccopener]

I'm fairly sure Levi and Kleinveldt from Northants are both now Kolpak too.

If Kleinveldt is the guy I saw on the telly he is 2 people joined together he is huge, and therefore 2 Kolpacs 

[mvclayton]

Haha! Good point, Levi isn't the worlds smallest guy either. They can both hit the ball a ridiculously long way though!

[iand123]

notice you don't have Dernbach in the side @edge

is that because he's not good enough to get in this SA side......

he's Kolpack right?

Dernbach whilst originally from SA is  classed as English (im sure we all still have the mental scars from watching him bowl). Moved here as a 14 year old and has never played as a Kolpak. According to Wikipedia he also has an Ityalian passport, maybe that is his route back into international cricket

[Alvaro]

Say what you will about Dernbach, he never shied away from bowling the tough overs in limited overs cricket.

IMO McLaren is a better all-rounder than Wiese, so once de Lange or Vilas rock up I'd drop Wiese. Otherwise, of the confirmed Kolpaks...

1 Rudolph
2 Ingram
3 Roussow
4 Van Zyl
5 Taylor +
6 McClaren
7 Wiese
8 Kleinveldt
9 Harmer
10 Abbott
11 Viljoen
 

[iand123]

Say what you will about Dernbach, he never shied away from bowling the tough overs in limited overs cricket.

Doesnt he have the most expensive first 1000 balls in international cricket or something like that?

[GoodLeave]

Doesnt he have the most expensive first 1000 balls in international cricket or something like that?

Top stat.

At least he can tell people he's in the record books? Doesn't have to specify why...