Hick re-signs for 3 years

[Spogs]

Just received from the cricinfo newsletter:


"Graeme Hick has signed a further three-year contract with Worcestershire.
Hick, who joined the county in 1984, will now continue with the club until
at least the end of the 2004 season, when he will be 38 years of age."

Now therein lies a big part of Englands problems. Hick has nothing to offer now and in three years is just going to be a washed up old hack keeping a young player out of county cricket. Surely he should be on a year by year contract.

They'll probably wheel him out again for the next ashes series in England along with Atherton and Stewart.

 

[thestretch60]

Hick will be 38 when his new contract finishes then no doubt he will be signed to another 3 year contract which will take him through till he is 41. Total 6 more years of deadwood taking up space.
Go through the first class averages in England, there littered with over the hill never were good enoughs, taking up space that a young player could have.
Also it is obvious that these older players are not providing the competion or setting a standard that leads the younger players to a higher level.

 

[Dipper]

The trouble is that you can make a good living(over £100k pa) in England as a good county cricketer who has little chance of playing for England.My impression (& correct me if I'm wrong) is that it would be difficult to do the same in Australia.
Also the only reason that the counties can afford to pay these high wages to players is the sudsidies they get from the England Cricket Board which comes from the revenue taken in from Test matches & international 1 day cricket.Without these subsidies all the counties would lose money every season so it seems logical to me give them a lot less but instead provide them with facilites & coaches for young players & to set up a cricket coaching centre like your one in Adelaide.
It seems to me that your cricket structure with grade cricket just behind the 1st class stuff is a ruthless system where everyone is trying to get up the greasy poll & know that one failure at the wrong time could screw their chances of progressing for a long time.Whereas county cricket is a system where everyone knows if they fail one day there's usually another game in a couple of days to make amends & keep your place.

 

[thestretch60]

Originally posted by DIPPER
It seems to me that your cricket structure with grade cricket just behind the 1st class stuff is a ruthless system where everyone is trying to get up the greasy poll & know that one failure at the wrong time could screw their chances of progressing for a long time.Whereas county cricket is a system where everyone knows if they fail one day there's usually another game in a couple of days to make amends & keep your place.

I think you hit the nail on the head here Dipper, I play 5 levels below 1st class and it's ruthless, it's ruthless playing against other sides in the competion and it's ruthless within our club to play in the highest XI possible.

In Australian cricket if your any good you will rise up through the grades, playing against hardened cricketers all the way along.
If your noy up to scratch you'll be found out quickly.