'Game is over regulated by ECB bureaucrats' says Anderson as he challenges overseas player rule

During the forthcoming season, which at the last count was just 127 days away, each first class county will be entitled to play two overseas players in their matches. In Somerset's case the two players will be Tasmanian batsman Jamie Cox and West Indian fast bowler Nixon McLean.

At the County Ground yesterday chief executive Peter Anderson reminded me that it was in fact as a result of a proposal put forward by Somerset that the overseas rule was changed.

In the original proposal Somerset suggested that each county be allowed to field three overseas players, but in the end this was reduced to two.

Now the Cidercounty are challenging the six week rule regarding injury to overseas players and want to see the time limit abolished so that replacement players can be drafted into the side straight away.

Mr Anderson told me: "The existing regulation is that you can replace overseas players if they are called up for their country, which could be the case with Nixon McLean, or when they are injured as was the case with Jamie Cox last season."

He continued: "Somerset have been checking on a number of top players to find out their short term availability. International stars have said that they want to play English cricket on a short term basis, as was the case of Steve Waugh at Kent last season, but don't want to be tied to a team for the whole of the season."

The Somerset chief executive will be attending a meeting of the First Class Forum on Tuesday where he said he would be `attacking' the six week injury regulation that hit Somerset so hard last year when they lost Jamie Cox.

This rule also affected the Cidermen when they played Yorkshire in the Cheltenham and Gloucester final.

"Darren Lehmann had been called up by his country so they were able to draft in Matt Elliott who was their match winner. However if Lehmann had been injured then Yorkshire would not have been able to call up a replacement."

He continued: "The main objection from the ECB is that they fear clubs parachuting in superstars for vital promotion and relegation games. This is of course a risk but if we are to keep the county game exciting and vibrant it is a risk worth taking."

The chief executive concluded: "The county game is over regulated by ECB bureaucrats who fail to realise that cricket becomes unfair the moment that you toss the coin."