I think from a ZC perspective they are wondering what value any of these overseas guys may bring if they're not setting it alight in County, so why offer decent money? Plus with other guys on a subsistence wage it's not a good look to offer an overseas player money that he could actually live decently on for a week of the month.
So the ZC boys feel they're in a good place after recent results. I would guess they will look at possible replacements for retiring players about a month after they retire and a day before the next game. And they will be hoping like hell a couple of local players will step up so there is no crisis.
So far we've got Marumani who looks good. It's going to be interesting to see how he goes this season compared to the overseas boys. He's had a great start for sure. We've seen all the other local players, there are no unknowns. He's the one guy that is sticking his hand up and looks like he could be quality. That's it- one batter!
I don't believe ZC will be as forward thinking as everyone hopes. Curran is going to be a good yardstick. I would guess his other option is a gig with a minor county. He'll be close to his family and will most definitely still get paid ten times more than if he were playing here. Hoping a good player will come here and be prepared to be arse fucked for 2 years before he gets a shot is possible but unlikely. The fact is you can't survive unless you've won Survivor Series, Naked and Afraid and you've won it twice!!
Hypothetically assume that Curran has a shit season in all formats. It's cricket, it happens all the time. We barely play enough games for a player to turn a shit start into a good season!!!
The reality is that he will have to blow the door down in one format to get an early call. Will he gamble another year? Do we need him? That's an emphatic yes, but I don't think ZC see it like that. They want depth, but they want it for free. They're currently getting a much needed improved standard by inviting overseas players. They will pay them peanuts and it is good players anxious to get their stats up and probably play different formats. Watch Byrom light up the T20! Overlooked in County but he will make runs here.
So they want good players to come and get paid a laughable salary for 5 months of the year and then mysteriously survive the following 7 months and to magically reappear the following year with a cheery disposition doffing their caps and tugging their forelocks.
It may well happen, spots in every team are oversubscribed and being a crash test dummy probably has more job security. Every player thinks he's a world beater and that he's a few games away from a call-up or a T20 gig until he looks up and realises he's 30 and the call didn't come.
I once spoke with Gareth Batty who was captaining Surrey and the next week was back in seconds without an explanation and he realised he was done.
Then an injury got him back into Firsts and extended his career for a season. If Surrey can treat a seasoned pro like that then nobody else has a chance of being treated well. He did end up on their staff, which seems to be the only job security available to any cricketer. Do your penance for 20 years, suck a lot of dick and then they just might dangle you a carrot. Then you become one of them and don't give a shit for the plight of your ex mates
Interesting how you can be a worker one day and a bell end the next without even pause for reflection. Even a hamster has more self awareness
What needs clarification is who has more long term value- a good player who has a mediocre season or a mediocre player that has a great season. I'm not sure many people can make that distinction. Some people may even argue there isn't one and I'm sure many ZC staff fall into this latter category.
It appears that ZC's wish list is a good overseas player not quite cutting it to come here for peanuts, bang some runs domestically, get a call-up and take to international cricket like the proverbial duck and they want that to cost them $300 pm initially and then grudgingly $1500-$3000 a month. This is whilst they themselves collect from $5000-$20 000 a month as mediocre cricketers and failed administrators.
It's a picture that doesn't make sense.
We live in a country where a good salary is $300 a month so ZC probably goes in at $300-$800 a month for a 5 month contract knowing they've got players with no options.
If you could offer these players a job on Civvie Street earning a grand a month year round cricket would cease immediately. It's a mystery to me how people not only survive but don't die of starvation. Where do they get their kit, cell phones, cars etc? Many guys have a family with kids.
You'll get a bigwig arriving in his VX 200 series or Range Rover and not one guy will think - you thieving c%&t!!
To a man they think - wow this guy has arrived, need to be like him!! It's the curse of Africa.
