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Coach says Kolpak solution not the way ahead

Radford wants Middlesex to nurture home-grown talent

Cricinfo staff

November 15, 2007

Toby Radford, Middlesex's newly-appointed coach, has backed Ashley Giles' call for counties to nurture home-grown talent rather than bring in Kolpak players for a quick-fix solution.

Speaking to the Islington Times, Radford said that he wanted to "develop players from within this country and, if possible, from London ... Middlesex players who have come through the system and have an affinity with the club.

"If you look at the Manchester United side in the late 1990s, you had Beckham, Scholes and Giggs ... all guys who had come through the youth side together, who knew each other well and were good mates ... that is the kind of culture we want here."

Radford admitted that Middlesex had signed one Kolpak player - South African Friedel de Wet - but said the club did not "want to go down the road Kent or Hampshire have taken." He added: "The ECB have introduced a financial reward for producing English qualified players but we would want to do that anyway."

Radford also said that though Murali Kartik had been signed for 2008 as Middlesex's lone overseas player, his call-up to the Indian squad could present problems. "We are concerned that that might affect his availability for us this coming season. I think the biggest thing for us to work on at the moment is, if he can't come in, who we will sign instead, and we already have a shortlist of potential replacements."

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