By SS
July 28 2003

For a number of years Counties have hired the services of Pakistani players. I take a look at some of the players who have played County cricket and also what benefits it gave them. Mushtaq Mohamed at Northamptonshire, Sarfraz Nawaz also at Northamptonshire, Sadiq Mohamed and Zaheer Abbas at Gloucestershire, Imran Khan at Sussex, Wasim Akram at Lancashire, Waqar Younis at Surrey, Salim Malik at Essex, Mushtaq Ahmed at Somerset, Aaqib Javed at Hampshire, Mohamed Akram at Northamptonshire, Saqlain Mushtaq at Surrey, Azhar Mahmood also at Surrey, Abdul Razzaq at Middlesex, Shahid Afridi at Leicestershire, Shoaib Akhtar at Durham, Shoaib Malik at Gloucestershire are just some of the Pakistanis that have appeared in the County circuit for their respective financially generous employers.

I take a look at the County circuit and ask the question, is County cricket a help or a hindrance to Pakistani players?

So what attracts any overseas player to play County cricket in England ? The obvious answer to this question is the financial rewards it brings. Any player who is not in it partly for the money is lying. It is a well known fact that players such as Mushtaq Ahmed have built some nice houses back home in Pakistan partly due to the financial gains from playing County cricket. Any Pakistani player who gets signed up for at least one full season knows that they will earn enough cash to secure their future financially.

The other main reason for playing County cricket is the chance to play against other top overseas players and also against the best of what the English game has to offer. Playing against other top quality players can only improve a players game. Imran Khan always shows his gratitude for learning the ropes at Sussex, from players such as Garth le Roux and Dermot Reeve. Even though neither of these players were world beaters, he picked up their strengths and used them to improve his own game. Imran also used his time in County cricket to improve his rawness and weaknesses, for example he used it to improve his batting technique and learn the art of bowling the slower delivery.

Another example of players who have undoubtedly improved as a result of County cricket are Wasim and Waqar. Both of these legends served Lancashire and Surrey with great pride, single handedly winning their teams matches week in, week out. Wasim and Waqar, like Imran before them, brushed up their respective games and gave their bowling the finishing touches that made them such great bowlers. In fact Wasim became an adopted Lancastrian, and spent as much time in Lancashire as he did in Lahore. Chants such as Wasim for England could be heard regularly at Old Trafford.

Salim Malik was absolutely magnificent at Essex, scoring 2000 plus runs in one season with the County. He scored very heavily in the two seasons that he played for Essex and really enhanced his reputation as a world class batsman during that time. Salim displayed the temperament and technique required to score runs in the County circuit.

More recently Saqlain Mushtaq was a revelation at Surrey during his first two seasons, taking wickets with extreme ease. His doosra became the talk of the Counties, just like Waqars toe crusher had been a few years earlier, but I feel that Saqlain has become a bit too comfortable with his life in South London. He has become part of the fixtures and fittings for Adam Hollioakes star studded team. It seems that Saqlains mysteries have now become a little too familiar and although he is still taking wickets, its not with the same regularity as his earlier years.

I think County Cricket should be used for the financial security it brings with it, after all money makes the world go round and cricketers are no different to you and I. It should also be used to refine and improve a players game, learn from some of the old heads still playing on the County scene, watch and learn the art of the slower ball from Ian Harvey, watch and learn from the Carl Hoopers and Stuart Laws of this world. Use the Counties like they use the overseas players, reap the rewards and learn the arts, and then use them on the international stage.

What I do not think should happen is what is happening with Saqlain Mushtaq, where County cricket has become an overkill and part of the Saqlain mystery and guile has become stale. Divided loyalties start becoming apparent and players get into the club versus country rows which are regular in football. Players should realise that it was their performances for their countries that got them the county contract in the first place.