Many people know of the intrusive European Court judgement wherein Bosman changed the face of football for ever, resulting in astronomical increases in entrance prices to football grounds and telephone number salaries for players, many of whom are placed in the ideal position to blackmail their hapless employers.
Fewer know of the other intrusive ECJ judgement on the 8th May 2003 which effectively wrecked our preparations for future England cricket teams:
"Correspondingly, a Kolpak player or Kolpak, is a term used in the United Kingdom for players in the domestic leagues in cricket and both rugby codes from overseas, subject to the Kolpak clause.
The court decision was based upon the idea that no resident of the European Union should be prevented from working in another part of the EU. Specifically the case meant that, in professional sports, if a sporting club chose a player who resided in the EU, then there could be no law preventing this. For example, a German basketball team could not be prevented from hiring a Greek player since both nations are members of the EU. Moreover, since Kolpak was not from the EU at the time the case was decided, but from a country that had an associate trading relationship, the decision meant that any player from any nation which had such a relationship with the EU could also freely play as a professional."
In simple terms, this means that a significant proportion of the world is entitled to come to this country and ply their trade. This is why many cricket counties have taken the short term solution to onfield woes and have brought in teamloads of Kolpak players, thus obstructing the development of considerable numbers of young cricketers who are qualified to play for England. [Congratulations to Glamorgan for refusing to play Kolpaks - I do hope that their resolve will be able to hold!]
That teams have a top foreign player or two to excite their fans is arguably helping to develop young players but in this instance, we are talking about journeyman professionals in large numbers whose benefit to the great game is minimal. We are the laughing stock of all the other test playing nations.
Thanks for this fiasco must be forwarded to the ECJ - but do not tell them that "It is just not cricket" as only Dutch members would have any chance of grasping the concept!
Source - Kolpaks - WIKIPEDIA.
