ESPNCRICINFO reports that Gary Ballance has retired from all cricket - does anybody know details, what happened ?

[ZIMDOGGY]

I'm not sure why this thread has become about Jonty and not about Gary. Come on, Jonty has been a valuable contributor for long. Disagreements need not get personal. Yes, some of us are overly harsh on some players, but it's a quip and we move on. Can't have pages of going at each other while the other person is also bringing facts to the table.

The bottom line is probably difficult to accept may be? Also, there was no way Gary could have played an "ICC tournament" - the qualifiers with all the random testings - in this state anyway, would have been a major egg on the face of ZC, so isn't it good that he walked away?

Saying Garry doesn’t add value, needs to do a Logan cup stint and that sniffing coke nullifies tournaments records would do that.

OK if i ask you what has GB done in the last 12-24 months that you say he deserved to walk straight straight into the team. How many games did he play? Any runs?

The devil in the detail.
It’s not like he was playing county and cousin get a run for two years.

He was suspended a year ago whilst on top of his game. They wanted him after all that and he chose Zimbabwe, and took two games to pick up where he left off.
Even if he did play Logan Cup, what happens if he got a duck? As what could happen to anyone. All it would do is annoy people when he would get picked anyway.
And remember, this is the BEST the county scene has.
It’s not just any county player, but best of the best.
What’s county?
3rd strongest competition in the world?

This was a golden egg gifted to us, now taken away. Maybe by a mole.

[ZIMDOGGY]

Rafiq destroyed him.

Did Rafiq destroy BT or Jongwe as well?

Their is clearly a problem with culture of glorification of things like recreational drugs and Alcohol. Alcohol is the gateway. Until people realize it’s use is abuse and treat it as a vice, these things will happen.

BT and now Ballance. Can’t just be a coincidence.

Alcohol isn’t a gateway. Not in the real sense.

I drink a lot but I’ve never done drugs nor even tried a cigarette. I’m not an exception.

[ZIMDOGGY]

One thing though is if Garry has been down for Coke, it means he did it the next before.
Interesting if that fell to match day

[Googly]

You may well be right. Not everyone was thinking he was a good thing.

[ZIMDOGGY]

Strange how coke can be so prevalent in Zimbabwe when the place is so poor.
It’s not cheap. Might be cheaper in Africa than elsewhere but it won’t be that much cheaper.

[Googly]

It's about 80 bucks a gram, so I'm told.

[secretzimbo]

.
What’s county?
3rd strongest competition in the world?

Red ball? Easily 2nd, arguably not far behind the Sheffield Shield too.
Definitely stronger than Ranji, which has too many teams and some very poor pitches hence you see loads of random guys making double and triple centuries every week.

Sheffield benefits from fewer teams and higher concentration of talent but the overseas in County push it close. Some of the XI’s teams like Lancashire and Surrey have put out in the past few seasons would beat a lot of international sides

[ZIMDOGGY]

.
What’s county?
3rd strongest competition in the world?

Red ball? Easily 2nd, arguably not far behind the Sheffield Shield too.
Definitely stronger than Ranji, which has too many teams and some very poor pitches hence you see loads of random guys making double and triple centuries every week.

Sheffield benefits from fewer teams and higher concentration of talent but the overseas in County push it close. Some of the XI’s teams like Lancashire and Surrey have put out in the past few seasons would beat a lot of international sides

It’s a good question in its own right
It just feels to me county has too many plodders. Military mediums that average 20 odd.
I’d like to see 4 less teams and how they would do.

SA would have been one of the best before the politics

I am unfamiliar with indias and just assumed.

[sam_ahm]

Just gathered some patience to read through most of the thread. It is really sad that Ballance has done what he did and a very sad end to what could have been an exciting few years of him at ZC.

Some insightful posts here by Jonty and reading through them you can tell that he is being honest.

SZ made a point regarding ICC not testing during bilaterals that is not correct. Zubayr Hamza, Prithvi Shaw both were tested during bi laterals and both ended up losing their places in the side by the time they came back. So the ICC definitely test whenever they want to.

[secretzimbo]

Ya maybe. I'm just going by what BT said but who knows. I still reckon there was a tip-off.