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Around the Wicket - Soap Dodgers and Roof Tilers
Focusing on other countries is not something I’m inclined to do a lot when it comes to talking about cricket. Australian cricket is my number one priority – but I feel like I probably should say something about the land of Soap Dodgers’ latest selection.Darren Pattinson? Really? I mean really? Here is a bloke who just 2 years ago was playing grade cricket for Dandenong and putting tiles on the roofs of houses across Melbourne just to make a dollar. If he had a 5 year plan with bullet points and deadlines on that list, I seriously doubt that “represent England at Headingley in 2008” would have been on there. Then again – he has a British passport, was born in England, and is familiar with the laws of the game, so maybe he should have been expecting a call up!
He only got a game for Victoria because there were about 3 first choice bowlers out injured. In fact, so lowly was he rated, that in his debut game, Andrew McDonald was given the ball before him. But, he did take 4/87 on debut, including the prize wickets of some of South Australia’s lower order.
Patto must be dead set pinching himself. At 28, he gets plucked from the wilderness to represent Victoria. 2 weeks before his 30th birthday, he gets plucked from county cricket (where he has had a fairly solid season at the halfway point, I must admit) to represent England in front of Chris Tremlett (who is actually in the squad), Steve Harmison (who doesn’t like playing one day cricket), Simon Jones (who still has his sick note with him), and Matthew Hoggard (who has admitted his career is pretty much over). They’re a mentally tough bunch the England quicks, aren’t they?
Look, as far as Patto goes, it doesn’t bother me that they have picked him. Sure he has learnt all his cricket in Australia, and used all Cricket Victoria’s resources for the last 2 years, instead of them being used on a youngster who wants to play for Australia, but good luck to him.
What will bother me is if turns out that they have picked him just to get to his Australian born younger brother James – an 18 year old Victorian all rounder, who was in the Australian squad for the Under 19 World Cup. By all reports, the kid is a decent player. Am I being sceptical? Well, tell me they wouldn’t do it.
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how can they get to his brother through darren?
Good question. I imagine the ECB would fill his head with $$$ promises to play over there. County cricket is VERY lucrative. Young James is probably already considering that he's eligible for a British passport, and big bro Darren was just a first change Victorian bowler in Australia. In England - he's already a test player. Maybe England gave Darren a game just to show James it's a possibility. I think James has a Victorian contract though...
lol, good line of thinking there.
But james is australian born and bred and even though it'll probably take longer than with england, earning a test cap for australia is a good possibility given he's already in the age-group teams.
Holding a victorian contract is not mutually exclusive with holding an england contract is it?
I don't know what the rules are - but being born in one country doesn't necessarily stop you holding another country's passport. For example - I was born in Scotland, but as my old man was born in Australia - I am able to hold dual citizenship. I don't know what the Pattinson's go is - whether he can apply for a uk passport based on where his parents were born.
As far as Victorian cricketers leaving to play for England... Craig White, Allan Mullay, Martin McCague - there's precedent.
yeah james really should be able to apply for a uk passport but the question is will he..
in fact he may alraedy be a dual passport holder, unless there are no added benefits of holding a uk one from an australian one.
still, I really doubt he'd want to play cricket for england. australia is a better team and more prestigious for someone raised in australia.
(yeah yeah stating the obvious...)