Cricket sans frontiers

Samir wrote recently about his problem in adjusting to the idea that a team allegedly representing Delhi had a load of foreigners in it. Here in England, this is not exactly a novelty, since most counties have had overseas players for forty years - even Yorkshire relaxed its Yorkshire-born-only rule nearly twenty years ago.

There are probably still a few diehards hanging around among the membership of every county who think the use of overseas players is immoral or unpatriotic, but the vast majority have completely adjusted to the idea of adopting someone from abroad as one of their own.

Winning things for the team is a fantastic way of breaking the ice: people can forgive a great deal in someone’s background if they are instrumental in bringing silverware or even just winning a few games. Having captained Yorkshire to their first championship in thirty years, Australian Darren Lehmann has a plaque in his honour on the West Stand at Headingley. If parochial Yorkshire can take an Aussie to their bosom, anyone can.

County sides now have players from three sources: home-grown players who have come up through the county’s youth system, players who were previously on another county’s books, and imports from abroad. If you have no other source of information, you can work out which category a new player falls into by listening to the comments from the members as he trudges back after being out for a scratchy thirteen.

They have patience with the promising young lad from the second eleven: he looked as though he was trying or did not have a lot of luck – but maybe he’s not really ready for the first team yet. And they are much quicker to welcome his arrival as a worthy player: a couple of fifties and a maiden hundred are quite enough to ensure a gaggle of admirers at the next supporters’ evening.

Those who previously tried elsewhere cause Playfairs to be extracted from pockets and consulted as to the previous record, after which comes “I don’t know why they keep getting us these Hampshire rejects. They’re never any good. Remember Kevin Shine? He was bloody awful too.”

Unless the English import has been poached by dangling large salary cheques in his face, in which case he might as well be an overseas player. By definition (at least in the supporter’s mind), overseas players get paid barrowloads of money which they probably wouldn’t deserve even if they were Donald Bradman and SF Barnes rolled into one. Resentment that this hyped-up popinjay is taking the county for a luxuriously-upholstered ride grows quickly, and you can hear knots of supporters expressing a fierce pleasure when he fails again “because at least we’ll get shot of him for next season.”

On the other hand, the class import may well have enough ability to win hearts and minds immediately. I missed Phil Hughes’s rapid hundred for Middlesex last Thursday, but those who saw it were quick to say that he had been “awesome”. I got to see him make 65* on Saturday and another 74 on Sunday, and I too was impressed.

I also worked out how England could counter him in the Ashes, but as I explained my theory about the field to set, one of my companions spotted a rather big objection: the Laws do not actually permit a 12-3 offside field. Well, that’s a problem for later. In the meantime, he’s playing for Middlesex and is due to open with Andrew Strauss in the game which may or may not start tomorrow depending on the weather. I hope he enjoys the Southgate pitch.