Simmons Kolpack revelation

11:43am Thursday 7th February 2008

LANCASHIRE chairman Jack Simmons says the 18 first-class counties came very close to a gentleman's agreement to not sign any Kolpak players.

The England and Wales Cricket Board's new chairman of cricket has revealed that he attended a meeting of all county chairmen in Bristol approximately five years ago.

"Before this ever started, we had a meeting down at Bristol. They said that there is nothing that we can do about this Kolpak situation," explained Simmons.

"I said yes we can, all we have to do is shake hands and say that we will not sign one'.

"They all agreed except one, and that one county had already signed one. Once they signed one, you got one or two at roughly the same level who said that they would have to see how it goes. That agreement did not go through."

The Kolpak ruling means that a cricketer from a country which has an Association Agreement with the European Union - including South Africa, Zimbabwe and some West Indian Islands - who is in possession of a valid UK work permit, must be treated as if he was a citizen of an EU country and can therefore qualify as a domestic player for Competitive County Cricket.

Although Simmons did not reveal the identity of the county in question, Leicestershire were the first to take advantage of the ruling when they signed South African Claude Henderson in 2004.

The ruling stems from an appeal by a former Slovakian handball player, Maros Kolpak, who won the right to play for Germany without being classed as foreign.

There will be close to 40 Kolpak players plying their trade in the county game at the beginning of the new county season in April.

Simmons said: "From what I can gather there is just nothing that you can do about it. It's a restraint of trade. If you went to court you would be thrown out straight away. Why waste money?"

Lancashire cricket manager Mike Watkinson has used the ruling to bring in South African batsman Francois Du Plessis this season.

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