KEY POINTS:
Even as New Zealand cricketers have signed up for new-found riches courtesy of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the country's leading players' advocate has issued a strongly worded warning about the impact the competition could have.
Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum and Scott Styris have been signed by the embryonic IPL, sanctioned by the Indian cricket board in response to the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Fleming, so close to signing for the ICL in the off season, will be the competition's second-highest paid player at US$350,000 (NZ$450,000), equal with Glenn McGrath and behind only Shane Warne (US$400,000). It is a figure that will dwarf his New Zealand Cricket earnings this season.
Vettori will earn US$225,000, Oram US$200,000, McCullum US$175,000 and Styris US$150,000. While New Zealand Players' Association manager Heath Mills welcomes the injection of third-party revenues into cricket, he can see two potential pitfalls that could have a serious impact on the development of cricket in this country.
"We need to be very careful about the impact this could have on the international game," Mills said.
"These franchises are being sold off by the BCCI [Cricket India] for upwards of US$50 million. The investors are going to want their pound of flesh for that sort of outlay. In time, that could jeopardise the Future Tours Programme.
"We need to safeguard international cricket. That for me is the biggest issue."
Mills worried that the pathways for New Zealand cricketers to be test cricketers - domestic competitions and school cricket - were all essentially funded by the revenue generated through the international programme.
If the revenue from international cricket was reduced, that would have a massive impact on New Zealand Cricket's ability to fund robust competitions.
If that is a long-term concern, then a more pressing one is what happens to those who haven't been signed for the IPL.
The very public airing of the players' salaries might cause not only dressing room jealousy but push those not wanted towards the rebel ICL, due to run again in March. Players such as Lou Vincent, Mathew Sinclair, Peter Fulton and James Franklin are bound to question whether they too could be setting themselves up for life with a spell of Twenty20 cricket.
Mills said that New Zealand players were potentially more vulnerable to rebel overtures given their opportunity to earn big money was not the same as the Indians, Australians or English, despite a recently boosted player pool.
It is clearly an awkward topic because Mills says third-party revenue has to be embraced by the game's governors or else it just gives more impetus to rebel leagues.
The salaries quoted above could be just the tip of the iceberg as well.
Cricinfo.com reported that the fee quoted for Warne is the signing amount for him to be part of the player pool from which franchises will bid for the rights to employ players. With Brian Lara reportedly being paid US$1 million to play in the ICL, Warne and similar big-ticket signings could earn in excess of US$1 million.
Indian premier league - who gets what.
All amounts in American dollars
AUSTRALIA
Shane Warne $400,000
Glenn McGrath $350,000
Justin Langer $175,000
SRI LANKA
Kumar Sangakkara $250,000
Mahela Jaywardene $250,000
Muttiah Muralitharan $250,000
Sanath Jayasuriya $250,000
Lasith Malinga $200,000
Chaminda Vaas $175,000
Dilhara Fernando $150,000
Farveez Maharoof $150,000
Nuwan Zoysa $100,000
PAKISTAN
Mohammad Yousuf $320,000
Mohammad Asif $225,000
Shahid Afridi $225,000
Shoaib Akhtar $225,000
Younus Khan $225,000
NEW ZEALAND
Stephen Fleming $350,000
Daniel Vettori $225,000
Jacob Oram $200,000
Scott Styris $150,000
Brendon McCullum $175,000
WEST INDIES
Shivnarine Chanderpaul $175,000
SOUTH AFRICA
Graeme Smith $225,000
Herschelle Gibbs $225,000
Jacques Kallis $200,000
Shaun Pollock $200,000
Albie Morkel $200,000
AB de Villiers $175,000
Makhaya Ntini $175,000
Mark Boucher $175,000
Loots Bosman $150,000
Ashwell Prince $150,000
