Topic: What's the value of Pros in Village cricket? (Read 5589 times)

cobweb1510 · « **on:** April 18, 2021, 12:57:38 PM »

Hi all,

First a disclaimer- I've watched very little village cricket, and have only recently got involved at all as my son has moved up in the youth set up. This means it is a genuine question, and I am happy to have my thoughts/views corrected due to my own ignorance!

So yesterday was our local village team's 1st XI opening match of the season. The weather was lovely, and I managed to persuade my 2 sons to come down to the ground by promising them a crepe- they promptly met a load of friends and disappeared for a few hours. Happy days, I sat and watched the cricket, had a beer, and called it being a parent.

The visitors batted first, and scored 201 in their overs, with their pro scoring 123. Our team had an issue with their pro, so was stuck in America awaiting a work permit (details may be wrong here, but basically we had no pro). Our reply was about 110 from memory. This strikes me as being somewhat silly- a single player has unbalanced the whole game. Without their Pro, our local team would have won as their "locals" scored 80 between them. So we bring in our pro- some local cricketer misses out on a game-and then it becomes the battle of whose pro is best- with 20 local players making up the numbers.

Then there is the issue of paying the pro. I don't know how much they get paid, but there doesn't seem to be a good number. If they are on a good salary, that seems like a lot of money for a village cricket club to have leaving it's coffers every year. If it's not a lot of money, what's the point in these guys flying over here to play in an amateur league?

It seems to me (from a VERY limited amount of knowledge) that simply not having pro players would be advantageous to everyone. Less money leaving the club and games being played by competitive squads developed locally. I can understand once one team has one, they all need one- but from what I saw yesterday none would be better for everyone.

Gurujames · « **Reply #1 on:** April 18, 2021, 01:12:18 PM »

I think you have it right. Others will say overseas pros contribute to the club through coaching etc. That may be true for some but being so reliant on one player is not good for any team/club.

Jimbo · « **Reply #2 on:** April 18, 2021, 02:12:12 PM »

Pro gets you promoted, higher standard of cricket attracts better players, club improves and grows. Or so the thinking goes.

Personally I don't have a problem with it, it raises the standard of club cricket and players do improve by being around better players. That said, too many clubs spend beyond their means on a pro which I think is ridiculous and endangers the future of your club.

Ideal scenario, a pro should be a good addition to a thriving, well organised club. Not just a hired gun who comes in and wins you a few games for one season then disappears off without having had a real impact.

SouthpawMark · « **Reply #3 on:** April 18, 2021, 02:29:18 PM »

I think it�s a waste of time, other than for the coaching aspect. Have seen some very poor quality �pro� players over the years years, apart from one Justin Langer when he was about 18, who was fairly decent bat.

Bats_Entertainment · « **Reply #4 on:** April 18, 2021, 02:50:40 PM »

It's gone beyond having 'a pro', though. I've heard some clubs teams have more than half their players being
paid. A lot of paid players are nowhere near good enough to be deserving.

It's about teams seeking to win by any means necessary, and individuals being selfish and greedy.

I hope some of you are actually with me on this!

Bats_Entertainment · « **Reply #5 on:** April 18, 2021, 02:54:41 PM »

I know a lad who had head turned by �60 a game and now makes a round trip of 120 miles to play cricket on a Saturday!

Jimbo · « **Reply #6 on:** April 18, 2021, 03:15:27 PM »

Quote from: Bats_Entertainment on April 18, 2021, 02:50:40 PM

It's gone beyond having 'a pro', though. I've heard some clubs teams have more than half their players being
paid. A lot of paid players are nowhere near good enough to be deserving.

It's about teams seeking to win by any means necessary, and individuals being selfish and greedy.

I hope some of you are actually with me on this!

Feels like this is a very different issue to paying for an overseas player to come across for a summer. Agree though that paying multiple players isn't a good model and long term won't benefit anyone, including the club doing the paying.

cobweb1510 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 18, 2021, 03:21:24 PM »

Quote from: Jimbo on April 18, 2021, 02:12:12 PM

Pro gets you promoted, higher standard of cricket attracts better players, club improves and grows. Or so the thinking goes.

Personally I don't have a problem with it, it raises the standard of club cricket and players do improve by being around better players. That said, too many clubs spend beyond their means on a pro which I think is ridiculous and endangers the future of your club.

Ideal scenario, a pro should be a good addition to a thriving, well organised club. Not just a hired gun who comes in and wins you a few games for one season then disappears off without having had a real impact.

I think your first idea, that the pro gets you promoted is a fallacy (unless you get the best/only pro)- since everyone has a pro. (I appreciate you said this was the thinking, not necessarily your personal opinion)

Thinking about things further, and reading the replies, wouldn't the money be better spent on either training local club coaches better, or perhaps paying a "pro" coach- you get all the benefits of training from the pro but don't distort the games. I wonder what the effect of Brexit will be on this- apparently football clubs have very strict criteria to sign overseas players now.

AJ2014 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 18, 2021, 03:28:49 PM »

Better idea is to have pro coach player, have seen this combination work successfully.
There are leagues where teams can't survive without a pro! Let alone a promotion!

Bats_Entertainment · « **Reply #9 on:** April 18, 2021, 03:38:03 PM »

Quote from: Jimbo on April 18, 2021, 03:15:27 PM

Feels like this is a very different issue to paying for an overseas player to come across for a summer. Agree though that paying multiple players isn't a good model and long term won't benefit anyone, including the club doing the paying.

Yes, I guess it is. The original post was about a single player making things unfair/unbalanced. Sorry.

I'm against both models, as you'd expect. I think pros should only play in the highest echelons of club cricket.

Jimbo · « **Reply #10 on:** April 18, 2021, 03:42:51 PM »

With you on that. I don't see how one player being utterly dominant at a level completely below their ability helps anyone.

Bats_Entertainment · « **Reply #11 on:** April 18, 2021, 03:47:48 PM »

The highly romanticised Lancashire League of yesteryear often manifested itself (and was celebrated) as a battle of the overseas pros (plus ten locals). So not exactly a new 'problem'?

SOULMAN1012 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 18, 2021, 04:05:37 PM »

Used to see this many years ago now when I lived I kent and played league cricket on a Saturday and then turned out most weekends for the club I started at that played friendly Sunday cricket and we used to play against sides that at the time were in the kent prem on a Sat and I can honestly some were great and others just awful.

By great I mean the pro would bat 11 and that was it and would be a help to the younger players occasionally on bit sides and try and help and oversaw a friendly Sunday game. Others would open the batting and score 100 quickly and retire or just bat through for 150, 200 even a few 250+ from memory and then also bowl a full allocation.

Don�t remember people being to bothered at you just knew which teams would do what

ppccopener · « **Reply #13 on:** April 18, 2021, 07:18:50 PM »

Paid overseas/retired pro's is fairly common at our mid level league cricket and more common as you go up the leagues where you find a lot of Middlesex players after the 2 year qualification (last played FC cricket), the rules on second team County cricketers is a bit less defined, so they play as well at the higher level.

So far my old club has resisted any form of payment to anyone despite numerous offers and recommendations.

You can't stop clubs doing what they want if they have the funds available, all we have done is ask 2 questions how we should move forward.

1. Is it morally right one player is paid when others pay every game and yearly to represent the club.

2. Would having a paid player artificially raise the level the club can sustain long term, and would that harm younger players development.

Yes you can be at too high a level in the ameteur game, and that can have a negative effect.

Buzz · « **Reply #14 on:** April 18, 2021, 08:15:21 PM »

Clubs can have pros, not much to say.
When I played on a Sunday the pro either bats with the tail or not and plays for being out there to coach.

Certainly not to bat top 3 and bowl.

Author Topic: What's the value of Pros in Village cricket? (Read 5589 times)

cobweb1510

What's the value of Pros in Village cricket?

Gurujames

Re: What's the value of Pros in Village cricket?

Jimbo

Re: What's the value of Pros in Village cricket?

SouthpawMark

Re: What's the value of Pros in Village cricket?

Bats_Entertainment

Re: What's the value of Pros in Village cricket?

Bats_Entertainment

Re: What's the value of Pros in Village cricket?

Jimbo

Re: What's the value of Pros in Village cricket?

cobweb1510

Re: What's the value of Pros in Village cricket?

AJ2014

Re: What's the value of Pros in Village cricket?

Bats_Entertainment

Re: What's the value of Pros in Village cricket?

Jimbo

Re: What's the value of Pros in Village cricket?

Bats_Entertainment

Re: What's the value of Pros in Village cricket?

SOULMAN1012

Re: What's the value of Pros in Village cricket?

ppccopener

Re: What's the value of Pros in Village cricket?

Buzz

Re: What's the value of Pros in Village cricket?