Rudolph the turncoat

There's an excellent piece on the Test Match Special blog by Kevin Howells concerning Yorkshire signing Jacques Rudolph on a Kolpak agreement. When I first heard the story, I assumed that Rudolph was turning his back on South Africa for good and that he was even going to try to kick-start his career by qualifying as an Englishman, like Kevin Pietersen. He has been the victim of positive discrimination before and perhaps he felt that he would get few chances in South Africa. Rudolph is only 25 and could still have a lengthy Test career ahead elsewhere.

Howells suggests that he may return in the myrtle green of his native country, however. Rudolph last played for South Africa five months ago and under the strict letter of the law, he should not be allowed to play as a Kolpak man until a year has elapsed since his last international match. Rudolph's agents say that as he has effectively retired, that doesn't apply. But there is nothing legally enforceable, Howells says, about Rudolph's statement of intent. He is allowed to go back on it and evidence suggests that he is using a three-year stay in Yorkshire to further his international ambitions as a Protea.

Howells quotes Gerald Majola, of the South Africa Cricket Board, as saying: "Jacques has definitely given us an assurance that he will come back. In fact, he actually approached us with the whole arrangement. The real reason he is going is so he can become a better player for South Africa in the future - he just said he needs more experience."

Quite how that is going to happen at a club with no captain, coach and who is in such turmoil that Anthony McGrath has left with a year of his contrast to run, I don't know. The smart money is on the county being relegated this season. Maybe Jacques sees himself as the Messiah at Headingley? Either way, there is a very unpleasant smell about all this.

(photo: Reuters)