One of cricket’s greatest all-rounders Sir Ian Botham has insisted that cricket needs football style transfer fees. He said has this in the wake of Durham’s Twenty20 Captain Paul Coughlin leaving the club to join Nottinghamshire. Botham is the chairman of the county side Durham and has expressed his agony after Coughlin, who came up the ranks through Durham’s academy system rejected to extend his contract with the club.
Botham, who is greeted as one of the great cricketing minds says that he respects Coughlin’s decision but feels that the clubs should be rewarded for their efforts to train and produce “Exciting Cricketers”. Botham who led England to the Ashes victory in 1981 after he was removed as the captain after loss in the first Test. He helped England win the series 3-1.
After retirement, Botham has been involved with the administration duties in the ECB. As Coughlin leaves the club, Botham said:
“Following Paul Coughlin’s decision to leave Durham County Cricket Club, I would like to express my frustration at a number of issues, Despite offering Paul – a player we have nurtured through our academy system and someone we hold in extremely high regard – a very competitive contract extension, our devoted support during periods of injury, continuous development and leadership opportunities, the player has chosen to leave Durham.”
On players leaving clubs to join other clubs and their being a potential “conflict of interest” as county directors are also serving as England selectors Botham said:
“The ECB is currently reviewing its partnership agreement with the counties and Durham will be making strong representations to properly reward those that invest in the development of local talent. They need to introduce a transfer or similar system of compensation, to remove the potential for conflict of interest by preventing serving directors of cricket acting as selectors and to better regulate the behaviour of agents.”