Cricket: Return to NZC fold hinges on ICL

Shane bond. Photo / Getty Images

Those looking for a quick return to national colours of Shane Bond might be advised to wait a while.

The Canterbury speedster is almost certain to be missing from New Zealand Cricket's list of 20 centrally contracted players for the 2009-10 season.

Both Justin Vaughan and New Zealand Cricket Players' Association boss Heath Mills told the Herald on Sunday they doubted Bond could extract himself from his Indian Cricket League contract in time, even if he wanted to.

The next step for the ICL in its battle for recognition from the ICC is likely to be in court.

If that fails, the tournament, financed by broadcaster Zee Telefilms, would most likely fold, with players still awaiting payments from the previous tournament.

That process will take time and Bond has always maintained he would honour any contract he signed.

"At this stage I am still contracted to the ICL," Bond said yesterday. "What I can say is I am definitely playing first-class cricket next season, I'm feeling really good and my training is going really well."

Bond turns 34 next month but has no retirement plans. Barring injury, never a given in his career, he believes he could go for a few more years, taking the view he'll only get one crack at a career.

In international terms that is good news for New Zealand Cricket. His old Canterbury team-mate and former mentor Geoff Allott was recently appointed general manager of cricket and is known to want Bond to play at the 2011 World Cup.

Vaughan said Bond's return to a national contract was incumbent on his leaving the ICL. Mills said Bond would undoubtedly pick up a major association contract but it was not realistic for Bond to have one of the 20 NZC retainers that range from $174,000 to $72,000.

As it happens, NZC's currently contracted players have received a two-month bonus, with the national body pushing back the contract year.

The 20 players were due to learn their fate this month in preparation for the next list, but that will now be determined in July. The contract year will start on August 1. This is significant because fringe players can push their case in the world Twenty20 championships in England in June.

It means Dan Vettori, who would normally have received $174,000 as the top-ranked player, will now collect a little over $201,000. Players ranked 18-20, who would normally get $72,000, will now collect $83,500.

The NZC have changed their financial year to allow them breathing room on budgets. Vaughan said performances in England would "absolutely" be taken into account when determining next year's rankings.

"We have not really taken Twenty20 form into account before but that has changed. Where we once had a distinction between test cricket and one-day cricket, we now have test cricket and short-form cricket to take into consideration when drawing up the list," Vaughan said.

That could see Nathan McCullum being considered for a contract. Jeetan Patel has so far been preferred to the Otago offspinner in test and one-day cricket but McCullum is seen as New Zealand's second-best spinner in T20 cricket. In fact, McCullum, Martin Guptill and Ian Butler have recently been put on weekly retainers by NZC in anticipation of their inclusion for the world championships. None were centrally contracted last season.

Over the next year, collective agreement discussions will consider weighting. Test cricket at present has a 1.25 per cent weighting, acknowledging that it is the most important form. However Vaughan said they might look for flexibility, particularly in World Cup years. The emergence of T20 as a bona fide international format also means it makes less sense for those who specialise in the short formats to be penalised.

"If over the next 12 months you're playing little test cricket, I would have thought the weighting should be adjusted accordingly. You either do that on an annual basis or you set your weighting with a slightly longer term view," Vaughan said.

The next contract list promises to be contentious with several players not on the 2008-09 list sure to push hard for slots and a couple of high-profile players in danger of missing.

From last year's list, Mark Gillespie, Michael Mason, Aaron Redmond, Scott Styris, James Marshall and Gareth Hopkins look vulnerable and even the previously high-ranking Jamie How will be casting anxious glances.

Grant Elliott, Butler, Nathan McCullum, Guptill, Tim McIntosh, Peter McGlashan and boom Northern Districts youngster Kane Williamson are all putting pressure on.

Players like Bond and Daryl Tuffey, who are expected to return in the next couple of months, are almost certain to gain major association contracts.

The 20 chosen are a reflection of who the selectors believe will play the biggest roles over the next 12 months. It's not necessarily reward for the previous 12, or 14, months' work.