Holder suggests ‘substantial minimum salary’ to halt Kolpak exodus

London [UK], Feb 28 (ANI): West Indies skipper Jason Holder has suggested that the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Federation of International Cricketers Associations (FICA) should “institute a substantial minimum salary” to ensure players don’t get lost to Kolpak cricket.
Holder said that there is a need to find a way to keep the players for playing their country otherwise nobody will be able to hold them for a longer period.
“It's really sad to see another quality player lost to Kolpak cricket. Until something is properly done to keep players a little bit more grounded financially I don't know how much longer you can continue putting up the front. People still want to see international cricket being at the forefront. I just think, going forward, we need to find a way to keep players playing for their country so we can have an attractive product,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Holder, as saying.
“Probably the ICC and FICA need to get together and institute a substantial minimum salary so that players will feel comfortable coming home to represent their country,” he added.
The suggestion came after South Africa’s Duanne Olivier signed a Kolpak deal with Yorkshire, effectively ending his international career. Terming the decision as the “most difficult” one of his life, the Olivier had said that being a professional cricketer, his career will be short lived and that he needs to make most of the opportunities that comes across his way.
Holder, while showing concern regarding the matter, said that young players are often in quandary with regards to how they want to go about their career and maintained that ultimately it’s the player who has to set his priorities.
"Most young cricketers in this day and age have had that dilemma. It's about what you want as a player. I've had age on my side, getting into West Indies cricket early and wanting to commit to it. I wanted to give myself a fair shot at a good international career and, if I stay fit and healthy, I can always cash in at the back end of my career,” he said.
“Some other players don't feel that way because of their personal needs. I don't judge people for their decisions. They have to live with the decisions and be happy with the ones they make. But it's really sad that you lose quality players due to domestic leagues and with a lot more players going Kolpak,” he concluded. (ANI)