Bob Willis wants Virat Kohli to “suffer” from the wretched form he endured in 2014

[Josh]

http://www.skysports.com/cricket/ne...-county-stint-ahead-of-indias-tour-of-england

India skipper Virat Kohli is set to play county cricket this summer ahead of his side's Test series against England this summer, according to reports.

Kohli - who averaged just 13.40 across 10 Test innings on India's tour of 2014 - has been linked with a County Championship stint in June.

The Times of India is reporting that Kohli will team up with Surrey, while the Ahmedabad Mirror says Essex is his likely destination after the Indian Premier League.

Surrey's director of women's cricket, Ebony Rainford-Brent, thinks Kohli's arrival would be great for county cricket, saying: "I would be absolutely ecstatic and I think most people would be.

"Box office players like Kohli will give county cricket a bit of a buzz and it should be celebrated. You want the best people playing and if that turns out to be for Surrey, then so be it.

"Look at Kumar Sangakkara, for example, and the amount the Surrey players soaked up from playing alongside a great like that for the last two years. Hearing they may now be around Kohli, I think the players would be excited by that."

But, Bob Willis disagrees, believing it hampers the growth of young, English talent and allows the Indian Test captain the chance to play his way into form ahead of the series.

"I can't stand overseas players in county cricket," said Willis. "It doesn't benefit the players stranded in the second XI year on year and the youngsters. The only way to improve our Test team is to have as many England-qualified players playing in the County Championship as possible.

"Instead, they're going to pay Kohli, presumably, five figures a match so he can hone his skills in English conditions before a Test series. It's a nonsense.

"He should be made to suffer and average 30 in England as he has done before. We don't want England starting to lose Test matches at home because we're accommodating all of these visiting players."

Any such move for Kohli would mean that the 29-year-old would miss India's inaugural Test against Afghanistan in Bangalore, which will begin on June 14.

 

[Oligochaetes]

He makes a lot of sense

 

[Hasan123]

LOL you should be glad to have a batsmen of his quality playing your country. Young players can learnt a lot from him. Also he hasn't had any issues when other players like Williamson,Marsh,Pujara,etc have played county cricket in the past. Surrey also want to win games, so having Virat Kohli in their line up gives them a good chance of winning games.

Stop crying and be happy.

 

[USofA]

Just out of curiosity, has he said the same about all the county overseas cricketers in the past? Or does just has something against Kohli?

 

[shokz1408]

Lol, don't think he would be fussed if english players played in international leagues. That's the way players develop, playing around the world, yes you would be accomodating Kohli and he could improve under these conditions but you could also discover more of his weaknesses.

 

[GrandMaster]

LOL England already crumbling to pressure. It seems they are scared of King Kohli.

 

[AFM]

Haha Chacha Willis at it again :rondu

 

[Itachi]

Why English players whine ALL the time???? Ex, current doesn't matter. They whine A LOT.

 

[Savak]

Lol what phattu thinking? Let the champion player iron out his problems. Besides he was up against the green top legend Anderson, he is not going to face that quality in County Cricket and if Anderson gets the same green top conditions he will still give Kohli huge problems no matter how much Kohli prepares

 

[Ab Fan]

LOL you should be glad to have a batsmen of his quality playing your country. Young players can learnt a lot from him. Also he hasn't had any issues when other players like Williamson,Marsh,Pujara,etc have played county cricket in the past. Surrey also want to win games, so having Virat Kohli in their line up gives them a good chance of winning games.

Stop crying and be happy.

He is scared of the fact that if Kohli plays county cricket, he will win India a series in England and England who are losing plenty of games away from home will start losing at home too.

Basically, point is he is scared of VK.

 

[Hasan123]

He is scared of the fact that if Kohli plays county cricket, he will win India a series in England and England who are losing plenty of games away from home will start losing at home too.

Basically, point is he is scared of VK.

Kohli can score in England even without playing county cricket.

 

[Josh]

Just out of curiosity, has he said the same about all the county overseas cricketers in the past? Or does just has something against Kohli?

I doubt it. Maybe he is not happy with current overseas losses of English cricket team and expect them to be dominant at home at least.

 

[Big Mac]

Just out of curiosity, has he said the same about all the county overseas cricketers in the past? Or does just has something against Kohli?

I think part of it is to do with the way he's using county cricket as a warm-up for tests against England. If Kohli was playing the entire season for Surrey then it would be a different matter

 

[Ab Fan]

Kohli can score in England even without playing county cricket.

Ofcourse. England isn't a benchmark for everything afterall. He scored runs in one of the toughest pitch for fast bowling I have seen in years- Johannesburg 2018, 3rd test.

There is no reason he won't score runs.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Poor from Bob. England are at home, they should be confident of beating India whether Kohli plays for a county or not. I think the draw with Pakistan last year has given England food for thought but if the ball swings, Kohli and co will be easy pray.

 

[R3verse Swing]

Back in the day Country Cricket was the level to beat. Stints from Khan, Wasim, Waqar, Viv, SRT, Dravid, etc, cemented their legends and skills.

Kohli could play in county cricket for the next TEN years, and still not gain a thing because the quality of county cricket has declined big time. Heck, he has played more ICC knock-outs in England, and has still failed. Pujara also says hi!

 

[HitWicket]

In my view the ECB should be looking at some kind of a deal with foreign boards over overseas players. If a player wants to come over here to play county cricket their board should agree to us sending a young player over their for their comparative domestic tournament. We make it far too easy for players to come over here and get prepped playing local cricket despite it being a massive pain for anyone else to play some competitive fully-professional cricket during the winter.

 

[Nil Dhumrojal]

Disgrace on sportsmanship.

 

[Romali_rotti]

http://www.skysports.com/cricket/ne...-county-stint-ahead-of-indias-tour-of-england

India skipper Virat Kohli is set to play county cricket this summer ahead of his side's Test series against England this summer, according to reports.

Kohli - who averaged just 13.40 across 10 Test innings on India's tour of 2014 - has been linked with a County Championship stint in June.

The Times of India is reporting that Kohli will team up with Surrey, while the Ahmedabad Mirror says Essex is his likely destination after the Indian Premier League.

Surrey's director of women's cricket, Ebony Rainford-Brent, thinks Kohli's arrival would be great for county cricket, saying: "I would be absolutely ecstatic and I think most people would be.

"Box office players like Kohli will give county cricket a bit of a buzz and it should be celebrated. You want the best people playing and if that turns out to be for Surrey, then so be it.

"Look at Kumar Sangakkara, for example, and the amount the Surrey players soaked up from playing alongside a great like that for the last two years. Hearing they may now be around Kohli, I think the players would be excited by that."

But, Bob Willis disagrees, believing it hampers the growth of young, English talent and allows the Indian Test captain the chance to play his way into form ahead of the series.

"I can't stand overseas players in county cricket," said Willis. "It doesn't benefit the players stranded in the second XI year on year and the youngsters. The only way to improve our Test team is to have as many England-qualified players playing in the County Championship as possible.

"Instead, they're going to pay Kohli, presumably, five figures a match so he can hone his skills in English conditions before a Test series. It's a nonsense.

"He should be made to suffer and average 30 in England as he has done before. We don't want England starting to lose Test matches at home because we're accommodating all of these visiting players."

Any such move for Kohli would mean that the 29-year-old would miss India's inaugural Test against Afghanistan in Bangalore, which will begin on June 14.

I agree with Bob why help the opposition before a test series /? Especially their main player.............

 

[Varun]

Letting Virat Kohli play county cricket is “nonsense”, feels former England captain Bob Willis, who wants the prolific Indian captain to “suffer” from the wretched form he endured in 2014, when his team comes here for a Test series later this year.

Kohli is expected to play for Surrey in the Division One of English county in his bid to prepare for the five-Test August-September series in England, which has been his focus for sometime now.

“I can’t stand overseas players in county cricket,” Willis told Sky Sports . “He should be made to suffer and average 30 in England as he has done before. We don’t want England starting to lose Test matches at home because we’re accommodating all of these visiting players,” Willis commented.

Willis is upset that England will be losing home advantage ahead of the series and termed it as a detrimental move for the counties. “They’re going to pay Kohli, presumably, five figures a match so he can hone his skills in English conditions before a Test series. It’s nonsense,” fumed Willis.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-pape...li-playing-county-cricket/article23368371.ece

What's wrong with Willis? This is as strong an opinion as they come!

 

[Madplayer]

What an idiotic statement! He doesnt have anything to say about English players playing in the IPL or other domestic structures across the world which helps their game a lot. Hypocrite.

 

[Hitman]

Why let visiting teams arrive much before a tour to adjust to English conditions? Ban that as well, let visiting teams arrive a day before a tour starts.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Stupid comments.Any cricketer can do as he pleases to improve his game(as long as it takes place on the field )

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Remove emotions and look at his comments.

He has a point.

Imagine foreign players playing in your first class tourneys and getting good in your conditions.

As an Englishman, this would make me bitter too.

 

[JattMaula]

Dont worry bob sahib. Kholi will fail even if he plays county. And English will finally win a test.

 

[HitWicket]

Pretty sure this topic came up the other day but my viewpoint is that we should have some kind of agreements in place with foreign boards for overseas players that if one of their players comes over here we are allowed to send one of our players over there during the winter. At the moment it's easy enough for a good player to get a county contract but if one of our players wants to go play competitive FC cricket somewhere else in the world it's nearly impossible.

 

[HitWicket]

What an idiotic statement! He doesnt have anything to say about English players playing in the IPL or other domestic structures across the world which helps their game a lot. Hypocrite.

I'm sure he'd be fine if Kohli wanted to come over here and just play in the T20 blast. To suggest that's similar to playing FC cricket in foreign conditions (that too those you've previously struggled in) is ridiculous.

 

[TM Riddle]

Remove emotions and look at his comments.

He has a point.

Imagine foreign players playing in your first class tourneys and getting good in your conditions.

As an Englishman, this would make me bitter too.

What a load of Bull. This practice of foreign players participating in County cricket has been going on for decades.
Heck before the arrival of league cricket, County cricket was considered the most lucrative option both in terms of cricketing and monetary benefits.
Why nobody spoke then?
Bob Willis is being a bitter man that he's always been. Nothing new.

 

[WengerOut]

Remove emotions and look at his comments.

He has a point.

Imagine foreign players playing in your first class tourneys and getting good in your conditions.

As an Englishman, this would make me bitter too.

Many great players before played extensively in County. Many Australian players still play them. Why the problem now ?

 

[TM Riddle]

Many great players before played extensively in County. Many Australian players still play them. Why the problem now ?

Shane Warne captained Hampshire for years. Did these English Pundits used to whine in similar fashion back then too?

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

What a load of Bull. This practice of foreign players participating in County cricket has been going on for decades.
Heck before the arrival of league cricket, County cricket was considered the most lucrative option both in terms of cricketing and monetary benefits.
Why nobody spoke then?
Bob Willis is being a bitter man that he's always been. Nothing new.

Many great players before played extensively in County. Many Australian players still play them. Why the problem now ?

Just because county cricket has been going for ages, doesn't mean Englishmen are not allowed to feel this way today.

For decades, county cricket has helped batsmen all over the world get accustomed to English conditions unlike Aus or SA or Asian conditions.

Just bcos frustration is voiced now doesn't mean it's invalid.

It's just that it's an accepted all these years that we find it weird.

 

[SamNJ]

Remove emotions and look at his comments.

He has a point.

Imagine foreign players playing in your first class tourneys and getting good in your conditions.

As an Englishman, this would make me bitter too.

That's not wise.
I would welcome world class players in my country's domestics to a certain number.
It increases quality of Cricket, playing against international class players will help domestic players develop their skill more, they can learn a lot by playing playing with and against them also if a player is performing well against international players then you can get to know that he is ready for international cricket so makes selectors job easy.

 

[Varun]

I'm sure county cricket's domestic stars look forward to having overseas teammates. There was a report by George Dobell last year about how a particular team benefited from having Ashwin bowl for them - it helped improve that team's close-in catching and helped the keeper keep better to spin bowling.

Likewise, I'm sure Kohli's brand of batting and leadership is far removed from anything in the county stuff and the players there would love to pick some brains off of that.

Willis is wrong. Simply put.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

That's not wise.
I would welcome world class players in my country's domestics to a certain number.
It increases quality of Cricket, playing against international class players will help domestic players develop their skill more, they can learn a lot by playing playing with and against them also if a player is performing well against international players then you can get to know that he is ready for international cricket so makes selectors job easy.

That's a huge benefit.

The disadvantage is that overseas players get good at your conditions.

What did the English team achieve when they had a robust county system back in 80s and 90s with the best players of the world playing alongside their domestic talent?

Sometimes such things works to your favour. Sometimes it doesn't. Only time answers that question.

With that being said, having a great county system with world class players may have had monetary benefits for the ECB back in the day, so it's not like they were doling out charity.

 

[James]

Bob is a great player of the past, an experienced pundit and a unique voice in the media, he has a typically blunt and blackly comic style so nobody should be surprised by this - and he is perfectly entitled to his opinion.

 

[Hitman]

Dont worry bob sahib. Kholi will fail even if he plays county. And English will finally win a test.

Hope you will be here to face the music after I bump it later.

 

[rhony]

It all depends on Pakistan. I'm hoping Pakistan inflicts some deep wounds in their test series before Kohli and co. play their series

 

[JattMaula]

Hope you will be here to face the music after I bump it later.

I always face the music.
.
.
.
.
Unlike kholi.

 

[HitWicket]

Shane Warne captained Hampshire for years. Did these English Pundits used to whine in similar fashion back then too?

You've answered your own question. Warne captained Hampshire for years and played more games for them than he did for Victoria. He didn't just pop in for a one off 3 games in a 37 game season prior to an Ashes series.

 

[WengerOut]

You've answered your own question. Warne captained Hampshire for years and played more games for them than he did for Victoria. He didn't just pop in for a one off 3 games in a 37 game season prior to an Ashes series.

Willis supposedly also said this

"I can't stand overseas players in county cricket," said Willis. "It doesn't benefit the players stranded in the second XI year on year and the youngsters. The only way to improve our Test team is to have as many England-qualified players playing in the County Championship as possible.

So he does not support overseas players generally whether it is for 3 games or 300 games. So yeah if he didn't have a problem in Warne , why now ?

 

[TM Riddle]

You've answered your own question. Warne captained Hampshire for years and played more games for them than he did for Victoria. He didn't just pop in for a one off 3 games in a 37 game season prior to an Ashes series.

Read Willis' entire statement first.

 

[HitWicket]

Read Willis' entire statement first.

Willis supposedly also said this


So he does not support overseas players generally whether it is for 3 games or 300 games. So yeah if he didn't have a problem in Warne , why now ?

I don't have the original book being referred to but here's a quote from the book "Pommies" by William Buckland :

"Debate about the future was lead by Bob Willis. In a remarkable book, Cricket Revolution, published in 1981, Willis worried about the balance of one-day versus Test cricket. He claimed that too many overseas players in county cricket were hogging the best spots and proposed the replacement of three-day cricket by four-day games played during the week..."

That's referring to his own book published 37 years ago, I'd say he's been pretty consistent personally.

 

[barah_admi]

I think this is great for the county game, as was having Sanga and Amir over last year. I understand from an English point of view that it gains KOhli an advantage but it is what it is. However, I highly doubt KOhli will be playing a full season, or even half of it if he is to play tests and ODIs in England during the summer.

 

[WengerOut]

I don't have the original book being referred to but here's a quote from the book "Pommies" by William Buckland :

"Debate about the future was lead by Bob Willis. In a remarkable book, Cricket Revolution, published in 1981, Willis worried about the balance of one-day versus Test cricket. He claimed that too many overseas players in county cricket were hogging the best spots and proposed the replacement of three-day cricket by four-day games played during the week..."

That's referring to his own book published 37 years ago, I'd say he's been pretty consistent personally.

If that is the case , why have a problem against Kohli who will be there just for 3 games.

 

[Monsee]

Kohli can score in England even without playing county cricket.

Yes, he will be hitting on side and ball going to the slips/gully constantly...I guess his 13 something average in England has convinced you of his earth shaking abilities when the ball start moving a bit!

After playing with a county, he might get better or might still be the same old 13 some averaging player, we shall see!

 

[Indiafan]

Yes, he will be hitting on side and ball going to the slips/gully constantly...I guess his 13 something average in England has convinced you of his earth shaking abilities when the ball start moving a bit!

After playing with a county, he might get better or might still be the same old 13 some averaging player, we shall see!

ball swung much more on the SA wickets he
played last series compared to the wickets smith got

 

[cricketworm]

Just because county cricket has been going for ages, doesn't mean Englishmen are not allowed to feel this way today.

For decades, county cricket has helped batsmen all over the world get accustomed to English conditions unlike Aus or SA or Asian conditions.

Just bcos frustration is voiced now doesn't mean it's invalid.

It's just that it's an accepted all these years that we find it weird.

That way we should also stop international to play IPL. I know it's not the same, but still it's playing on indian condition.

See it makes competition great, also that's why there are A games being played by youngster all around the world.

 

[jnaveen1980]

58 all out says Hello . We all saw what great players ENgland is against swing

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

So this guy wants to put burka on county cricket or something

 

[rhony]

Was watching the highlights of the 2014 series and boy, was Kohli humiliated or what. It's been a great learning experience for him and he bacame a beast after that. He has a lot to prove this summer and turn the tables around.

 

[leatherface58]

I don't blame him for this opinion. When your team is getting shot out for 58, you gotta do whatever it takes to pick up the performance.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Willis is right. Kohli is not playing county to improve his game, he is playing to do better in the upcoming series. He's using it as side games. This is a huge advantage England is offering to Kohli.

And no Kohli playing a handful of these matches is not going to benefit his county team and his teammates unless Kohli overnight became a top coach with a magic wand.

 

[LastManstanding]

Bcci should also stop A teams from touring India just before their senior team is due to tour. Allows the touring teams to select new players based on their performance on turning wickets.

 

[The_Odd_One]

That way we should also stop international to play IPL. I know it's not the same, but still it's playing on indian condition.

See it makes competition great, also that's why there are A games being played by youngster all around the world.

International players playing IPL makes it special and popular. Take out those players and you will lose majority of your viewers.

 

[jadaja]

What a farce from Willis.I never thought this guy was so shallow.This king of shallowness from England and Australia have limited cricket being played by only few nations.

Akram is willing to help any bowler in the world who approaches him, Dravid helped KP iron out his left arm spinner problem.

India let Afganistan play their home games in India.Anderson played in NZ before the test series to get match practice and then wrecked NZ in the test match.

 

[CanadianG00se]

I always face the music.
.
.
.
.
Unlike kholi.

You like Junaids went into hiding after India-SA odis when King Kohli was scoring for fun.

Like I said once, you really got some personal issues with Kohli.

 

[CanadianG00se]

Willis is right. Kohli is not playing county to improve his game, he is playing to do better in the upcoming series. He's using it as side games. This is a huge advantage England is offering to Kohli.

And no Kohli playing a handful of these matches is not going to benefit his county team and his teammates unless Kohli overnight became a top coach with a magic wand.

Blame lies with county and not Kohli. He is doing what its best for him and his team.

 

[JattMaula]

You like Junaids went into hiding after India-SA odis when King Kohli was scoring for fun.

Like I said once, you really got some personal issues with Kohli.

Nope. I watched the whole series and i was present on PP at that time.

 

[rhony]

International players playing IPL makes it special and popular. Take out those players and you will lose majority of your viewers.

Lol ofcourse. IPL us paying millions for a reason. It needs stars

 

[Varun]

What a farce from Willis.I never thought this guy was so shallow.This king of shallowness from England and Australia have limited cricket being played by only few nations.

Akram is willing to help any bowler in the world who approaches him, Dravid helped KP iron out his left arm spinner problem.

India let Afganistan play their home games in India.Anderson played in NZ before the test series to get match practice and then wrecked NZ in the test match.

Which test match are you talking about? Surely not the one where England got bundled out for under 60?

 

[CanadianG00se]

Nope. I watched the whole series and i was present on PP at that time.

I meant you weren’t vocal about Kohli cause you know it would sound ridiculous.

 

[CanadianG00se]

Bcci should also stop A teams from touring India just before their senior team is due to tour. Allows the touring teams to select new players based on their performance on turning wickets.

BCCI also send its A team to tour countries before Indian team. For instance, there is Indian A team tour to England which will have most of current Indian test team players and some who could make it into Indian team.

 

[cricketworm]

International players playing IPL makes it special and popular. Take out those players and you will lose majority of your viewers.

Sure. And it also stop having any kind of experience to international players.

 

[cricketworm]

I honestly don't think this stint will 'help' Kohli technical game. But it will help his temperament. He will learn which balls to leave and chase that 4th stump line ball. It will make him confident.

 

[Bosanquet]

Bob Willis has always been extremely blunt in his opinions, likes & dislikes. Sometimes his mouth runs away from his brain and he comes across as a bigoted fossil. Generally speaking, majority of the public here appear to enjoy his "plain-speaking" manner. Also he can often be a very shrewd commentator.

But it's no skin off Kohli's nose or Surrey's what Mr Willis thinks. And I for one will stroll over to the Oval during the coming summer to watch a truly great batsman at one-third the price of a test match ticket.

 

[Sirris]

To me his statements is more of a compliment than anything. This shows the stature of Kohli. County cricket has always been open to foreign players however since Kohli is in such a great form the opponents are scared of him.

 

[jadaja]

Which test match are you talking about? Surely not the one where England got bundled out for under 60?

2008 match

 

[Varun]

I honestly don't think this stint will 'help' Kohli technical game. But it will help his temperament. He will learn which balls to leave and chase that 4th stump line ball. It will make him confident.

It will also help him hit the ground running mentally. Let's not underestimate that.

 

[HitWicket]

2008 match

Which if anything demonstrates the issue. We're getting to the point where large chunks of the touring team have opportunities to come over here and play competitive FC cricket prior to/during a series yet as far as I'm aware Anderson is the only example of the reverse happening this century. We should be pushing for more similar opportunities overseas.

 

[jadaja]

Which if anything demonstrates the issue. We're getting to the point where large chunks of the touring team have opportunities to come over here and play competitive FC cricket prior to/during a series yet as far as I'm aware Anderson is the only example of the reverse happening this century. We should be pushing for more similar opportunities overseas.

You want home teams play against teams with their players in best form.That alone will give series a meaning, you want a spectacle not a farce where in visiting teams are rolled over in 3 days.

 

[rhony]

I honestly don't think this stint will 'help' Kohli technical game. But it will help his temperament. He will learn which balls to leave and chase that 4th stump line ball. It will make him confident.

U lot need to see Kohli's test innings for the past few years after 2014. He made a lot of changes. He was magnificent in 2 tests in SA and is the top scorer on both sides. He is going there because he wants no stone unturned. He's already prepared. Also Anderson isn't the bowler he was either. When Boult was wreaking havoc, Anderson looked listless.

 

[shaz619]

He is entitled to his view, am surprised there are some Brits disagreeing with him. Bob is a proper England supporter who bled for his country and every time he went out there gave his all and so much more, he doesn't want others to be given an oppourtunity to not only prepare well for the England tour but also undeservedly take another cricketer's spot who has paid his dues for the county club.

Why do people expect him to shower an overseas player with rose petals, yes betah come over here am glad you're putting yourself in the best position to win your country test matches against my team and also take the spot of our country's players in the process

 

[HitWicket]

You want home teams play against teams with their players in best form.That alone will give series a meaning, you want a spectacle not a farce where in visiting teams are rolled over in 3 days.

Which is why it'd be better if more countries other than just England open their FC competitions to overseas players. At the moment it's a bit of a one way deal most of the time with us advantaging touring players with the experience and not getting the same in return.

 

[shaz619]

LOL you should be glad to have a batsmen of his quality playing your country. Young players can learnt a lot from him. Also he hasn't had any issues when other players like Williamson,Marsh,Pujara,etc have played county cricket in the past. Surrey also want to win games, so having Virat Kohli in their line up gives them a good chance of winning games.

Stop crying and be happy.

None of those players are Virat Kohli though who is the best batsman in the world right now and can win Tests single handedly

 

[shaz619]

Which is why it'd be better if more countries other than just England open their FC competitions to overseas players. At the moment it's a bit of a one way deal most of the time with us advantaging touring players with the experience and not getting the same in return.

I don't think England players have pushed to play in the Ranji Trophy or domestic teams in Lanka / UAE / Pak , so those countries can't be criticised for not having an open competition. If Joe Root wanted to play domestic cricket in India who would stop him...

 

[Hasan123]

Yes, he will be hitting on side and ball going to the slips/gully constantly...I guess his 13 something average in England has convinced you of his earth shaking abilities when the ball start moving a bit!

After playing with a county, he might get better or might still be the same old 13 some averaging player, we shall see!

LOL did you see him bat in South Africa? England pitches won't be as difficult as that. He will score in England .

 

[Hasan123]

None of those players are Virat Kohli though who is the best batsman in the world right now and can win Tests single handedly

Williamson and Pujara are world class batsmen . Them playing in England only benefits them and not counties according to Willis.

 

[shaz619]

Williamson and Pujara are world class batsmen . Them playing in England only benefits them and not counties according to Willis.

Nah Virat Kohli is more likely to win a Test for his country then Williamson or Pujara he has the X-Factor and impact quality which is why Bob is understandably concerned from the POV of an England patriot / fan

 

[jadaja]

Which is why it'd be better if more countries other than just England open their FC competitions to overseas players. At the moment it's a bit of a one way deal most of the time with us advantaging touring players with the experience and not getting the same in return.

IPL is giving all the international players experience of playing in India, and yes more has to be done.

Counties are not giving these players chance out of their goodwill, they want to cash in on their popularity.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Dravid averaged 11 in his first series in Australia. In the net he won a test with 233 & 70*. Willis thinks that if a player fails in certain place he will fail forever there.