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TheKolpakruleexplained|Cricket|ESPNCricinfo

January5,2017

TheKolpakruleexplained
ESPNCRICINFOSTAFF

AprimerontherulingthatallowsKyleAbbotttochooseEnglishcountycricket
aheadofplayingforSouthAfrica

03:03

WhatisaKolpakdeal?

WhatistheKolpakrule?
CitizensofEUcountriesareallowedtoworkinanyotherEUcountry.ButtheKolpak
rulemeansthatcitizensofcountriesthatarepartofEuropeanUnionAssociation
Agreements,whicharefreetradetreatiesbetweentheEUandothercountries,also
havethesameright.
Whyisitcalledthat?
TherulewasmadewhenMarosKolpak,aSlovakhandballplayer,appealedtothe
EuropeanCourtofJusticethatheshouldnotbeconsideredanonEUplayerinthe
GermanhandballleagueashewasaresidentofGermanyandacitizenofacountrythat

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TheKolpakruleexplained|Cricket|ESPNCricinfo

hadanAssociationAgreementwiththeEU.Kolpakhadlosthiscontractwithhis
GermanclubastheyalreadyhadtwononEUplayers.Thecourtruledinhisfavour.
Howdoesitimpactcricket?
PlayersfromcountrieswithsuchdealswiththeEUcanplaycricketinanyEUcountry
withoutbeingconsideredanoverseasplayer.Thismeanstheycansigncontractswith
Englishcountysideswithouthavingtobefieldedasoverseasplayers.
SohowdoSouthAfricansqualify?
SouthAfricaispartofadealcalledtheCotonouAgreementwiththeEU.Zimbabwe
andseveralCaribbeannationsarealsosignatories,sotheirplayersareeligiblefor
Kolpakdealstoo.
CananySouthAfricanplayersignaKolpakdeal?
No.In2009,theBritishHomeOfficeruledthattosignaKolpakdeal,aplayermust
eitherhaveavalidworkpermitforfouryearsintheUKorhaveearnedaspecified
numberofcapsininternationalcricket.
CanaKolpakplayerplayforhisowncountrywhileplayingforanEnglish
county?
No.Aplayermustgiveuphisrighttoplayforhiscountryduringthelengthofhisdeal
withacounty.
CanaplayerplaydomesticcricketinbothEnglandandhishomecountry
whenonaKolpakdeal?
Yes,buthecanonlyplayintheEnglishoffseason.HisEnglishcountyhastobehis
priority.
CanaKolpakplayercomebacktoplayingforhiscountryofbirth?
Yes,oncehiscontractwiththeEnglishcountyexpiresoristerminated.Jacques
RudolphsignedaKolpakdealwithYorkshirein2007afterbeingdroppedfromthe
SouthAfricanteamin2006.Hewasreleasedfromitin2010andplayedagainfor
SouthAfricain2011.
CanaKolpakplayerplayforEngland?
Kolpakplayersover18donotqualifytoplayforEnglandtilltheyhaveplayedseven
yearsforacountyandhavegainedcitizenship.Thiswasincreasedfromfouryearsin
2012.
SohowdosomanyplayersborninothercountriesplayforEngland?
PlayerssuchasKevinPietersenandJonathanTrottplayedforEnglandnotthrough
Kolpakdeals,butbecauseoneoftheirparentsorgrandparentswasEnglish.
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HowwillBrexitaffectKolpak?
OnceBritainleavestheEuropeanUnion,Kolpakcontractswillmostlikelynotbe
possible.ThatiswhythereisarushnowfromcountiesandKolpakeligibleplayersto
signdealsbeforeBrexittakeseffect.
What'sinitfortheplayers?
Moremoney.SouthAfricandomesticcricketpayssignificantlylessthanEnglishcounty
cricket.AndwiththeSouthAfricanrandweakening,thegapiswidening.
ButwhywouldamemberoftheSouthAfricainternationalteamgiveup
Testcricket?
SouthAfricancrickethasaquotasystem.InSeptemberlastyear,CricketSouthAfrica
announcedthatamaximumoffivewhiteplayerscanbepickedintheeleven,on
average.Thismeanssomewhiteplayers,suchasKyleAbbottandRileeRossouw,may
notgetasmanychancestoplayforSouthAfricaandarehencechoosingtomoveto
England.
What'sinitforthecounties?
Theygetbetterplayerswithouthavingtofieldthemasforeignplayers.Eachcountyis
onlyallowedtofieldoneoverseasplayer(ortwointheNatWestBlast).So,basically,it
islikeRoyalChallengersBangalorebeingabletosignChrisGayleandABdeVilliers
andplaythemwithoutcountingthemasforeignplayers.
Whatarethenegatives?
ForcountriessuchasSouthAfrica,thedrawbackisthattheyloseplayersfromtheir
nationalsideandtheirdomesticcompetitions.ForEngland,fewerEnglishbornor
Englandqualifiedplayersgetthechancetoplaycountycricket.

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