Cricket: Black Caps delay signing contracts

Brendon McCullum and Jacob Oram (R) are understood to to be among a group of Black Caps yet to sign their NZC contracts. Photo / Getty Images

Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey may be back in the Black Caps, but the insidious claws of the Indian Twenty20 leagues are still tearing at the fabric of New Zealand cricket.

The Herald understands Brendon McCullum and Jacob Oram are among a group of senior Black Caps who have yet to sign their New Zealand Cricket central contracts because of concerns next year's inbound Australia tour may clash with the lucrative IPL.

NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan played down the issue, insisting the players had until July 24 to sign contracts and he was confident all 20 players tendered offers would do so.

There was no clash as dates for the Australia tour and the IPL had yet to be set, Vaughan said.

However, an early April start is the favoured timeframe for the IPL. Although the Australia tour will not go beyond the first week of April because of New Zealand's weather, the prospect for a clash still exists, prompting some players to delay committing to NZC.

Any clash would have a significant effect on the return the New Zealand players would receive in the final year of their IPL deals.

Six players on the NZC contract list also have ICL deals. McCullum is the top earner at US$700,000 ($1.1 million), followed by Jacob Oram at US$675,000, captain Daniel Vettori US$625,000, Jesse Ryder US$160,000 and Kyle Mills US$150,000. Ross Taylor was initially on US$100,000 with the Bangalore Royal Challengers but is now believed to be on an improved deal.

But how much of their fee the players receive is dependent on their availability.

"We haven't had any official indications from the players that there are any of these concerns," Vaughan said. "The players have until July 24 to sign their contracts and we are fully expecting them to sign them."

The majority of players had already put pen to paper, but Vaughan wouldn't confirm the identity of those who hadn't.

"That is an employment matter between New Zealand Cricket and the players."

Vaughan's stance, however, appeared at odds with that of Heath Mills, the manager of New Zealand Cricket Players' Association, who acknowledged that some players were holding out until there was clarity around how much of the IPL they might miss.

"I'm aware that some players are seeking extensions on the acceptance date of their contracts until the playing schedule is finalised for the 2009-10 season," Mills said.

"I am not aware of the final dates of the IPL and the dates of the Australian series have not yet been finalised but I would expect players would likely want to get some clarity around these."

Although the circumstances might be more fraught this time, with players opting out of international cricket a potential PR disaster, Mills said the seeking of extensions before signing was "not unusual".

"In the past players have sought extensions for a variety of personal and professional reasons. Before they accept a contract they are perfectly entitled to get certainty around their obligations over the period of that contract."

The issue is hardly new, with Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori and vice- captain Brendon McCullum copping flack for their decision to miss the Black Caps' warm-up games on the 2008 tour of England to extend their stay with their IPL teams.

Former England captain Michael Atherton was critical of Vettori at the time, describing his absence as "downright rude".

"It's not as if you could say, 'We're all in this together boys' with a straight face," Atherton wrote in his Times column.

"A captain should not ask his players to do anything he is not prepared to do. Such as turn up on time."

It is unknown whether Vettori is among the players holding out, and Mills stressed the players weren't acting as a group.

"Players would have sought releases on an individual basis. It is not done collectively," Mills said.

While he was "absolutely" confident the players would all sign their contracts on time, Vaughan didn't discount the possibility of unrest when the schedules were finalised.

"If there is a conflict that is the time it needs to be addressed, but until we have finalised our timings it is all a bit hypothetical."