CSA plans to give long-term player contracts to stop Kolpak move
Cricket South Africa director Corrie van Zyl has stated that the board is serious about giving long-term contracts to players so as to stop the alarming trend of players opting for county cricket. The former South African pacer has admitted that the CSA is putting in measures to ensure retention.
Since 2004, South Africa has lost the maximum number of players to Kolpak deal, which allows players from countries which has free-trade agreement with any European Union (EU) member nation to play professionally in the UK, but two which hurt them in recent times were pacers Kyle Abbott in 2017 and Duanne Oliver in 2019 leaving the country. To end it once and for all, the former South African pacer and interim coach, who is currently serving as the Director of Cricket, admitted that the board is serious about retaining its talented players.
“What are the reasons that some of the players signed Kolpak deal are best known to them. I can’t speculate as to why they would want to do that. What is important for Cricket South Africa is to ensure that we can retain our best players,” Van Zyl told PTI.
“Central Contract is one aspect. We are looking at longer-term contracts and long term service incentive schemes. We are making sure that within SA cricket fraternity, we try to understand where the players stand. So it’s a combination of a number of factors," said the pacer, who had played two ODIs without much success, in their comeback year 1992.
The South African selection policy currently has a clause where there has to be a minimum of five players of colour in the playing XI for every match. The "target", as it has been called, often had an adverse effect on the team. Even last year, Last year, Morne Morkel, who took the Kolpak deal after announcing international retirement, had warned the country’s cricket establishment to have a proper communication channel with players to intimate them where they stand in terms of selections and contracts. Van Zyl said the structures are in place and they are working on it to make it more effective.
“The structures are in place to prevent good players from leaving the country. That is what we are focusing on. One of the success factors is to ensure that we retain our young talent as retention is important for any team. We at CSA are putting in measures to ensure that we are addressing concerns of our players,” he said.
“Obviously, it’s transition in terms of new players coming through but we still believe we are here to win. Although the team is transitioning from a personnel point of view, we have the skill and ability to compete on the field,” he said.
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