Australian media.

After browsing through several Australian newspapers, I see the OZ press still hasn't grown up. The amount of times in their reports any reference to certain England players begins with South African born, well I cannot count. Facts is facts and yes there will be four South African born players in the squad when we tour there later this year. Now I am not sure what the exact rules are but I think you have to be playing here for five years before you qualify to play for England.

Our national cricket team has always had its share of imports including the likes of: D'Olivera, Grieg, Smith, Lamb, Jackman, Hick, Mullaly, White, Pieterson, Strauss, Prior and Trott. This is not because we actively recruit players but because young cricketers around the world see playing cricket in England as a great opportunity to further their careers. There is the chance here to play in eighteen first class games a season on top of the plethora of 40 over, 50 over and 20 over competitions.

If I may look at our latest import, Jonathan Trott, he played some Representative cricket at youth level but at 18 he saw that his future career lay ahead in England. I am sure there are many young cricketers contemplating this very same thing as we speak. I think this is a compliment to the nation that maintains the best conditions for professional cricketers in the world.

I didn't see Australia baulking at playing Andrew Symonds when he was born in England, nor did it stop the likes of Jacques, Di Venuto, North, Clark, Langer, Law, Lehman etc earning a living in the UK. Australian sport has a history of taking in foreign athletes as their own: Tennis players Dokic and Mandlikova, amongst the numerous Olympic Athletes including Jana Pittman, even some famous footballers such as Mark Viduka, who's family origins are from Croatia, harry Kewell who came to England under a British passport and Tim Cahill who's mother is Samoan and father is English and played youth football for Samoa.

I would only have to question why doesn't Australia have more players of foreign origin playing for them. Australia has a population with large representation from Asia but this doesn't seem to translate into their cricket team.

Anyway I think its time Australians stop worrying about where our players are born and should respect the fact that they all fight to play for England.