James welcomes the Kolpaks (nearly)

Steve James does a u-turn on his opinion of Kolpak-registered players in today’s Daily Telegraph, but sounds a note of caution:

Naturally my initial reaction to this news was one of indignation, but reflection and some consultation can mellow. In fact more than that. I actually now consider it no bad thing that counties will have the leeway of an extra foreigner. Yes, they were words – however begrudging – in favour of my old friends the Kolpaks. Told you there was a surprise waiting. The ECB's main line of thinking is that they do not want to penalise counties for fielding players who are qualifying for England under the residential rule (at least 210 days per year to be spent here for four consecutive years). And I agree with them. I used to think those four years should be spent in the second team but if it is only one per county and likely to benefit the England team, then I can stomach it. Imagine Middlesex being handicapped financially for playing Ed Joyce? Or Nottinghamshire for Kevin Pietersen? Sixteen-year-old Zimbabwean left-handed batsman Gary Ballance at Derbyshire is a good example. At Harrow now, he wants to play for England and his recent 73 in a Pro40 match indicates such desire not to be unrealistic. Derbyshire should not be 'fined' for giving him first-team action during his school holidays. This is all dandy as long as the intentions are honourable. What we do not want is abuse of the system; say, a Johann Louw situation where he declared himself here with Northamptonshire to qualify for four years and then after two years returned to South Africa to play as a domestic cricketer again, thus meaning he had to be reclassified as an overseas player. Middlesex fell for the bait. How they must wish they hadn't. His strike bowling has since been embarrassingly unproductive.

In the same column, James chides the use of floodlights in England:

It substantiates my theory – however curmudgeonly – that floodlit cricket is a hugely overrated concept on these shores. It simply doesn't work. Most of the time we don't need the lights (which are rarely bright enough anyway) and when we do, it's either too cold for spectators or too dewy for a fair contest. But with permanent illuminations now erected at five of our county grounds unfortunately it's not going to go away, as illustrated by the unfathomable decision to stage three of the five internationals in the current series against Pakistan under the damned things.