Sensible from Stewie on contracts for Roy & TC

https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/county-cricket-premium/tom_curran_jason_roy_agree_new_surrey_contracts_accommodating_county_franchise_commitments.html

GEORGE DOBELL: Curran and Roy are understood to be expected to play just a handful of games - perhaps as few as six - for the club in the 2024 season

George Dobell | 15/12/2023 at 20:34
Tom Curran and Jason Roy have both agreed new contracts with Surrey which could see them play for the club for just a few weeks in 2024.

Curran and Roy, both of whom have played Test cricket and were members of the 2019 World Cup winning squad, are understood to be expected to play just a handful of games - perhaps as few as six - for the club in the 2024 season.

Both are established fixtures on the franchise circuit and, with their red-ball ambitions apparently behind them, will only appear for Surrey in a handful of T20 Blast games. Both will remain contracted to Surrey for the entire year, however, so will continue to be able to utilise the club's facilities. Both are also expected to feature for Oval Invincibles in The Hundred.

But the new deals specify that they will be expected to play only in a small window in mid-season for Surrey. Roy, for example, is expected to appear in both the IPL (where he has been retained by KKR), which runs until May 29 and the MLC (where he plays for LA Knight Riders), which starts on July 4. This could see him available from only June 2 (when Surrey host Somerset at the Kia Oval) to June 21 (when they host Glamorgan). He would, therefore, effectively only represent Surrey in a three-week window.

There is an understanding, however, that should the players be available, an extension on their current deals could be arranged.

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Both players are established on the franchise circuit [Dibyangshu Sarkar/Getty Images]

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Director of cricket Alec Stewart has spoken of the challenges of accommodating franchise players [Steve Bardens/Getty Images]

Alec Stewart, the director of cricket at Surrey, has previously spoken of the challenge of accommodating franchise players within a county dressing room and suggested contracts would need to change.

"If you are just a T20 cricketer, you are of value to us for six weeks and maybe the two weeks leading into the tournament," he said in May.

"We will take full control of you then, give you everything you want. Outside of that, they may be with their franchises or on their own when they do need their own S&Cs [strength and conditioning work] and physios. We can provide a facility, and we may charge you for it, but we can provide it, and I think that is being fair to the county and the player.

"If they just came in for that period, a little bit like an overseas player, then for me that would work. Whether the PCA and the players would see it that way is up for debate, but I'm just trying to look at it in a fair and honest way.

"But players have to understand that when they're here, they're ours. When they're with a franchise they are their player. But we are the ones who give them a 12-month contract, 12 months' health insurance, 12 months' physio provision, 12 months of coaching, getting our coaches to use a sidearm to prepare them for conditions. Where does that fit in the bigger picture? Which for us is Surrey and England. I think there will be a change in the coming years, it definitely needs looking at.

"It's the man hours of a physio who may spend hours putting a player back together, he may miss the Blast, but then he'll go off and play in another franchise competition," Stewart said. "What is the correct way for players to be happy, but counties to be happy as well?"

The new deals for Curran and Roy might be seen as a further step towards this brave new world.

Get rid.

I'm sorry but this is a terrible decision.

Missing the Championship for the IPL is one thing.

Missing the T20 Blast for Major League Cricket is quite another.

The ICC should bring in regulations to prevent players missing domestic T20s for overseas T20s.

RB - Agreed, I would get rid of the part-timers, the don't-want-to-players, and the T20 mercenaries.

I think my whole point is I am happier than most when some of our white ball players, especially those who play little to no red ball cricket anyway due to injuries or retirements - Evans, Topley, Roy, Jordan - go off to the IPL.

BUT I expect these people to turn up for the T20. And the fact they may not is a plague on our game.