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Is this really a world cup?

Teams seem to have players from other countries.

Its possible to build a superteam from the best in the world, and call it England,

Germany, Peru or whatever?

Perhaps this should not be allowed?

Then teams would then be judged on the football skills of their own countrymen.

And what I also want to know is why can't women play? Perhaps thats for the future.

Sorry I forgot England were playing like women (no offence meant to women)

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I think these days Mick its more to do with Dual Nationality and where your Parents and Grandparents were born..perhaps England (and Scotland) ought to find the best players in the world and offer them British Nationality....I think thats the only way that we could stand a chance of winning owt. Either that or get our youngsters brought up to scratch and give them a chance or finally, if all else fails then give the Ladies a chance!! (They cant do much worse can they?)...

!englandflag!

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I noticed that there was a lot of "Nationality Trading" going on in the last Winter Olympics - countries that didn't have a competent athlete in some sport would offer citizenship to an athlete that did. I know there was one American skater from Detroit who was skating for some oddball country - I'm sure there were many more and I'm sure it goes on in the World Cup too!

But it isn't new - if you remember back in the 60's/70's there was an English Olympic weightlifter Precious McKenzie who was born in South Africa!

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I noticed that there was a lot of "Nationality Trading" going on in the last Winter Olympics - countries that didn't have a competent athlete in some sport would offer citizenship to an athlete that did. I know there was one American skater from Detroit who was skating for some oddball country - I'm sure there were many more and I'm sure it goes on in the World Cup too!

But it isn't new - if you remember back in the 60's/70's there was an English Olympic weightlifter Precious McKenzie who was born in South Africa!

But hadn't he lived in the UK for years Eric??? I think he had a Gym in London where he dedicated himself to helping youngsters learn weightlifting.

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No - according to Wikipedia: "(He)...left South Africa for Britain in 1964 with his wife and young family. British minister for sport, Denis Howell, fast-tracked his citizenship application to allow him to compete for England in the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica where he won gold."

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Similar story to Zola Budd (Pieterse) who was fasttracked to run for GB in the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Been a few South Africans, including a captain or two, played for the England cricket team too.

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I take Wiki with a pinch of salt most times, it has many erroneous entries, even the Britanica site is supposed to be only around 80% accurate. Precious is just a vague memory to me now, so can't make any other comments. But don't trust Wiki to be accurate Eric, I rarely quote that site.

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There are plenty of other references that support the Wiki entry. I an not naive enough to take Wiki as "gospel", so I always verify it before I use a link - however, it is often the best summary of the available information.

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Been a few South Africans, including a captain or two, played for the England cricket team too...

Recently read, in Cricinfo, that England have selected more than 90% of the non-native Test players to be "recruited" world wide, since 1970!

Unsurprisingly, the other Test playing nations regard England - alongside the Pakis - as the biggest 'cheats' in the game...

From 1970 to 1990, the Aussies only had one...South African Keppler Wessels.

England had 43, over the same period!

Cheers

Robt P.

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I had no idea it was to that level during that period. That's quite something. IT's also without some very notable exceptions of fabulous South African cricketers in particular who played in this country for many years but didn't qualify (or want to) for various reasons. There are some elite names indeed amongst that bunch when we think of the likes of Barry Richards, Mike Proctor and Clive Rice for example. Fond memories of all these great players.

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Yes, indeed...

Add Graeme Pollock to your nominated trio and you have, IMO, the four greatest Springbok (can't be doing with with this new Proteas title!) cricketers of all time...

In 1965, had the great pleasure of seeing Pollock's magnificent century, at Trent Bridge...

Still regarded, by many leading observers, as the best-ever Test 100...

Cheers

Robt P.

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I agree with those observers, I think that magnificent Graeme Pollock innings is hard to surpass, Rob. Pollock was an absolute killer on his day, almost impossible to bowl at. Add to those illustrious Boks the names of Eddie Barlow and Peter Pollock who also played in the Rest of the World Series in 1970 plus Denis Lindsay and you have some of the most talented players of all time I dare say. What a team they would have been if they had been allowed to play through those years.

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The great innings ended when Colin Cowdrey took him at first slip, which prompted Colin to say afterwards that "...when I caught him, I felt as if I'd shot a dove in flight..."

Often forgotten that Colin himself also scored a superb 105 in the same game...

Eddie Barlow also did an excellent job in reviving Derbyshire's fortunes. They'd been at a low ebb for years but, when he arrived as skipper, rapidly turned them into a strong outfit. He sadly died in 2005, following a long and debilitating illness...

http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1163/1163.html

Cheers

Robt P.

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Always remember Bob Wilson ex Arsenal goalie, played for England at some youth level then when not good enough for full cap decided he was Scottish, worse was some young woman maybe 30 years? ago after years of coaching, support etc having been born here decided she was Jamaican and choose to run for them in the olympics, ironically she got injured before such and had to retire from running I think.

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Lovely quote. There was no finer slip fielder, nor gentleman, than Colin Cowdrey to have got the great man out.

Yes, I think to some extent Eddie Barlow mirrored the terrific job that Clive Rice did at Trent Bridge for our own county. The short time I spent working at Trent Bridge as a lad coincided with the end of Garfield Sobers' time at Notts and the beginning of the Rice era. I recall his kit, including Transvaal cap, arriving some time ahead of Rice in the dressing room and the expectancy our new import was creating. I recall asking one of the professionals what sort of a player Clive Rice was and being told that he 'hits the ball very hard and very straight'. He did that in spades for a few years didn't he. Richard Hadlee was an incredible, destructive and dynamic cricketer and Notts had some fine players in that era but I truly believe nobody did more than Clive Rice to turn around Notts' fortunes back in the mid-seventies. Our local team had been going nowhere before his arrival, they had poor levels of professionalism and little self-belief - the man from Johannesburg changed all that.

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Totally agree over Clive Rice and his influence on Notts...

My 'young' son - he is 40 years of age, this very day! - was with me at Burntstump when I was playing in a benefit match for Basher Hassan. Ricey was playing for Basher's Notts XI and, seeing Matthew knocking a ball around with his pal, wandered over and gave them an impromptu coaching session, which lasted for a while!

The lads were tickled pink to encounter the famous Clive Rice in such circumstances, and Matthew still recalls when asked for advice Clive replied "Practice, practice and practice...", delivered in his broad Afrikaans accent...

My memory of Clive that day was rather different...I had the misfortune to be bowling when he came in, and my first delivery carried about 180 yards and landed in the adjacent pig farm...

Also have to agree that he was perhaps the best straight diver of the "V" I have ever seen...only other contender would be the late Bill Alley of Somerset, my first cricketing hero...

Cheers

Robt P.

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