Cricket: NZ trio still awaiting final IPL pay cheque

Tim Southee is one of three New Zealand players affected by the impending two-year bans of their IPL franchises. Photo / NZME.

The three New Zealand cricketers caught up in the Indian Premier League corruption scandal have all been left out of pocket - at least for now.

Captain Brendon McCullum, seamer Matt Henry (Chennai Super Kings) and fast-medium bowler Tim Southee (Rajasthan Royals) have been affected by the impending two-year bans of their IPL franchises.

Players are paid in four instalments over the year. All three are still awaiting the final payment.

However, slow payment is nothing new in the often frustratingly slow-moving world of Indian cricket.

Contracts involve both the franchise and the Board of Control for Cricket in India, along with the player.

Payments do invariably turn up, and that is one reason New Zealand Players' Association boss Heath Mills is not losing sleep over the issue.

The bottom line is if the franchises were to fold and not feel inclined to honour the deal with players, the BCCI would be obliged to get out their cheque book.

"I'm pretty confident the BCCI will honour those payments," Mills said.

Chennai coach Stephen Fleming says he was left in the dark over the suspension.

Chennai and Rajasthan Royals were recommended for suspension after an Indian Supreme Court committee found high-ranking official Gurunath Meiyappan and Royals co-owner Raj Kundra were involved in betting on IPL games.

Fleming, who coached Chennai to back-to-back titles, told Radio Sport he had no idea of the severity of the punishment to be handed down.

Fleming said he had briefly spoken to the team owners and they were in shock.

"From my point of view and the players' point of view, we are very much bystanders, watching from afar and I actually read the news on a website when it broke rather than getting any inside information.

"We're pretty much in the dark as we were waiting on that verdict from the Supreme Court," Fleming said.

"Those verdicts handed down were the result of about 18 months' worth of court work and lawyer work, no one really had any idea and I think that's why there is shock around the severity of the punishment because I don't think the franchises were preparing themselves to be suspended.

"Fines were the major things they were talking about."

Fleming, who was now out of a job, said he hoped the players were looked after.

"I know in the past there have been instances of two of the teams being scrapped and some players are still waiting for money so I don't think the BCCI will let that happen again ... What you'd like to see is the players get a fair deal, get paid for what they've done."