SACA Plan to draft Covid-impacted first grade cricketers still an option for the future

A plan to bring interstate cricketers unable to play shield cricket into SA first grade competition was scrapped last week – but the idea is not dead in the water.

A plan to draft NSW Sheffield Shield players impacted by Covid to the South Australia’s Premier Cricket competition has been abandoned but remains an option for the future.

Up to 10 players who have been interstate and unable to play first grade in NSW due to Covid restrictions were set to join SA’s competition.

They were to be selected by the lower ladder teams as non-contracted players for the first three rounds of the season before Cricket NSW pulled them back due to the easing of restrictions on sport in their state.

Chris Tremain was one of the players set to be selected for the first few rounds of SA’s first grade competition. Picture: AAP/Michael Dodge

Among the players available were names such as youngsters Jason Sangha and Jack Edwards and fast bowler Chris Tremain.

SACA Premier Cricket manager Steven Busbridge said SACA had notified clubs prior to the season before NSW pulled the pin.

“It was only going to be for the first couple rounds and was just a way to give those guys a chance to play at that level,” Busbridge said.

“We sent an email out to clubs notifying them and were dealing with Cricket NSW but not long after that it all got squashed.”

While players in NSW look to be resuming play soon, the Covid cloud still hangs over much of the country.

Busbridge could not rule out the option of drafting impacted interstate players in the future.

Victorian Jordan Buckingham has been one of the key interstate recruits this year, heading to the Redbacks and West Torrens.

“With the unknown of Covid, everyone’s doing what they can – especially in sport – so if the states can help each other out during these situations it’s great for cricket,” Busbridge said.

“At the end of the day if the clubs here don’t want to do it they don’t have to.”

Busbridge had noticed an increased amount of interstate players coming to SA.

He said SACA would continue to do all it can to support this.

“There are definitely more players coming across on their own accord, especially this year. I’m not sure of the exact reasons but with no Premier Cricket in Victoria or NSW right now it’s probably pretty inviting,” Busbridge said.

“Obviously we do all we can to accommodate these cricketers.”

Nathan McSweeney has also been a major interstate addition, arriving from QLD to play for the Redbacks and Glenelg. Picture: AAP/Darren England

Prospect coach Steve Broberg, who would have had the second pick in the interstate draft, believed a similar system is needed for the influx of interstate players who are contracted to South Australia.

“The process they (SACA) undertook for these players was really interesting,” Broberg said.

“If we’re talking about developing South Australian cricket, and we get guys into the state who are newly contracted Redbacks players and they all end up at Glenelg or West Torrens for example, without that draft system in place, and all of a sudden a draft system is put in place a couple weeks ago, you wonder where the consistency is.”

The Premier Cricket season began on the weekend with three rounds of Twenty20 matches, while first grade action gets underway this Saturday.