Wessels dismisses talk of Kolpak threat to county cricket

Wessels: 'There's no way that 80 players can come in on Kolpak. That's ridiculous' © Getty Images

Kepler Wessels believes the threat to English county cricket posed by Kolpak players has been blown out of proportion. In December, the ECB and the players' union held crisis talks after it emerged that a list of 80 overseas players who are eligible for county cricket under the Kolpak judgment was being circulated around the counties by a sports management company Athletes 1.

The Kolpak ruling, which has been in force since 2003, allows anyone with a work permit from a country with an associate trading agreement with the European Union to have the same rights as a European worker. At least 20 South African players are on the list, as they were believed to have been tempted by the prospect of high salaries in England.

But Wessels, a former captain of South Africa, says the issue has been exaggerated. "There's no way that 80 players can come in on Kolpak," he told The Guardian newspaper. "That's ridiculous. We're not even talking 10. I'd be very surprised if any county has the attitude of not playing English players," he added, mindful of the ECB's proposed incentive scheme where counties face financial penalties if certain criteria are unfulfilled, such as how many England-qualified players they produce. "It's a good idea," he said. "I think most of the counties are responsible."

In his current capacity as Northamptonshire coach, Wessels was instrumental in orchestrating the return of the South African seamer Johann Louw to the county. And, as Louw qualifies under Kolpak rules, Australia's Damien Wright and Martin Love are able to fill the two berths for overseas players.

But Wessels was keen to stress how Louw was committed to Northants, and that his inclusion would not be detrimental to the English game. "He's played two games here in South Africa as an overseas player and then he decided that, because he was bowling so much for us, he'd rather maintain his fitness and his strength," Wessels said. "He's going back early; he's very committed to the Northants cause."