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Cricket faces potentially its biggest upheaval since the day Kerry Packer thought the sport would look better in colour.
Yesterday news broke that the BCCI - Indian cricket's governing body - was on the verge of forming an intercontinental Twenty20 league that will involve domestic leagues in four countries.
Website Cricinfo yesterday reported that Cricket Australia was involved in the planning and event manager IMG was putting it together.
Under the ambitious plan, leagues would be set up in India, Australia, England and South Africa, with the top teams in each meeting in a finals series. Teams would be able to employ players from outside their countries.
The concept has no doubt gathered urgency with the impending arrival of the Indian Cricket League (ICL), a six-team professional tournament funded by Indian broadcaster Zee Television. The ICL has yet to receive BCCI or International Cricket Council backing, making it vulnerable.
It is, however, still recruiting.
The Herald on Sunday understands they are making a concerted effort to attract fast bowler Shane Bond. While the fledgling league has attracted some great batsmen, including Brian Lara, Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam ul-Haq, it is yet to sign a marquee paceman. New Zealand's only genuine strike bowler would fit the bill.
Bond is understood to be in possession of a staggering offer. Even though he is thought to be ranked No 1 on the NZC contracts list, an offer of around $600,000 for a couple of months' work would put anything he could earn here in the shade.
Bond would not comment on the offer when approached yesterday.
While he clearly loves playing for his country, you could hardly blame a 32-year-old fast bowler with a history of back problems and a young family for thinking about a retirement nest-egg of this magnitude.
Former New Zealand batting great Martin Crowe said comparatively low pay was just a "reality of playing in New Zealand" and it basically came down to how much desire individuals had to play for their country.
"There's two ways of looking at it," Crowe said. "You either have a desire to play for your country, or you look at it [the ICL] as an opportunity to get a retirement package going."
In the case of Stephen Fleming, who is weighing up an offer believed to be about $440,000, Crowe said the only reason he would go is if "he was not content" with his role in playing for New Zealand.
"I took it he gave up the one-day international captaincy to focus the rest of his career on test cricket," Crowe said. "I hope that's still the case. You're a long time retired."
The Herald on Sunday understands more New Zealand players have ICL offers than has been reported. While it is thought Fleming, Bond, Chris Harris, Chris Cairns and Nathan Astle have been approached up to five others could be targets too.
NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan did not return calls yesterday but last week said his organisation would determine its policy on the ICL early this week. It is almost certain that those who sign with the breakaway league will have to forfeit their national contracts
However, players' boss Heath Mills, who last week urged the ICC to support the ICL concept because players here would be more vulnerable than others, said: "There's a lot going on at the moment and it's very important New Zealand Cricket tries to make sure we're a part of whatever eventuates in some way, shape or form."
