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Post by newby on Nov 2, 2023 21:17:42 GMT
I suspect if they do pick Willey he will continue to do his best for the team, despite the slap in the face.
The new contracts were aimed primarily of tying the players down to ensure they were available when picked and didn't behave as free agents, or even worse, sign up with the new masters of cricket who are setting up global year round franchises.
David Willey would always be available if they called so they didn't think they ought to waste money on him. I hope he plays and does well. It's probably only temporary but I couldn't care less how the rest do, Yorkshire born or not.
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Post by byased on Nov 2, 2023 23:15:53 GMT
Seems odd timing to announce all this whilst a tournament is on. Why not wait a couple of weeks (or months, or however long this tournament lasts). If Willey takes a dozen wickets in the remaining games do they ask him to come out of retirement?
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Post by tbsteve on Nov 3, 2023 11:35:15 GMT
Well Rob Key suggested there wasn't enough money for a 30th contract, and that Willey wasn't too pleased with the news.
I normally agree with Mike Atherton, but his assertion that negotiations were over before the World Cup seems off. Other reporting suggested delays as some held out for better contracts (Wood for example seems to have agreed a 3 year deal to get to the Ashes, and that compensates for not going to T20 gigs; Stokes opting for 1 year so he can renegotiate next time).
All the contracts were also back dated to the 1st of October, so effectively 2 months is taken up by this World Cup, where Willey is playing and one of the better (ok not much competition) bowlers.
All in all, I agree with Vaughan - Willey got treated terribly. He should have had a contract, or the announcement should have been scheduled not during the World Cup. Imagine someone gets injured next year, will Willey really not be considered for the T20 World Cup? Maybe not now that he's announced his retirement. The losers will be England. Willey has been messed around so much to accommodate others (e.g. getting dropped just before 2019 WC to accommodate Archer). Hope he can enjoy his last few professional years. He was always one of my favourite players.
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Post by davemorton on Nov 3, 2023 15:48:05 GMT
If we haven't got anyone better than Willey, we should drop out of International cricket completely.
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Post by donnylad on Nov 3, 2023 16:03:42 GMT
I get that DM but I think the point that sticks with me is the disrespectful tone and manner of Key's statements. "Just because he is at the WC doesn't warrant giving him a contract! or wtte.
Well Sick not Stokes and Wonky Wood have contracts. Jet propelled Archer (Not) has one. These 3 are the media's golden boys with the ball and that counts I suspect in the mind of Key and the rest of the E*C*B*s. They don't really care for the type of player that Willey is (no flash, no side, just gets on with it) because there is no g & t with the media filth for emphasising the value of a steady professional.
We are all for Bazball now (true it is in the dictionary!) so any Will Sloggasixe or Charles Dudley Runningham-Oute will do if he gives the headline writers something to say.
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Post by newby on Nov 3, 2023 17:31:30 GMT
If we haven't got anyone better than Willey, we should drop out of International cricket completely. Well that's certainly one way of looking at it Dave. He has though somehow managed 70 ODI and 43 T20I caps since making his debut in 2015, not to mention being signed up for the BBL, IPL, PSL and others, so perhaps he has more about him than you're seeing, or want to see. I'm surprised he made this World Cup to be honest, him and at least 4 others, but that's because the England selectors are afraid to move on and not his fault. If it's true, and it seems to be, that the contracts were sorted out prior to the players getting together at Lords then I think that makes his treatment worse.
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Post by slowleftarmer on Nov 6, 2023 10:31:17 GMT
Ability is one measure.
Attitude and Availability are others.
Willey always struck me as someone with a good fitness record and you could rely on him to be there when needed and give you 100%. Yes, he loses his potency after a couple of overs with the new ball but in this tournament he has actually done well in the middle and later overs.
Everyone gets giddy about Wood's excess pace but he is going at 7 an over and the faster he bowls, the faster the ball is flying to the boundaries. Woakes has come good eventually but has been lucky to still be selected. Curran has gone downhill faster than an Olympic ski jumper and Topley as ever looked a million dollars until his body gave up on him again. Archer never even made it to the starting line.
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Post by newby on Nov 6, 2023 11:45:36 GMT
There's a lot in that SLA, I've heard him admit to not being the cricketer he would like to be in terms of natural ability, but his attitude has got him where he is.
When you add his run outs, catches and runs saved alongside his batting and bowling stats I think he's a terrific white ball cricketer.
His enthusiasm does rub off on other players too and improves the teams overall performance. It certainly did when he was in the field for Yorkshire.
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