Cricket: Twenty20 cash to lure Kiwi stars overseas

Brendon McCullum could have played for New South Wales in India. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand's best cricketers are eyeing short-term Twenty20 deals with English counties next year, which could spark another club-before-country debate.

As the creep of Twenty20 continues unabated, players are aligning themselves across several teams in a bid to qualify for the lucrative Champions League in October.

Four players were targeted by Australian states for their Big Bash tournament next month but had to turn down the offers, believed to range from $60,000 to $100,000.

The Big Bash is played at the same time as New Zealand's equivalent HRV Cup so the four - most likely, but not confirmed, Brendon McCullum, Jacob Oram, Dan Vettori and Ross Taylor - could not entertain the offers.

Last year, McCullum played in the final for New South Wales, which meant he was instantly eligible to play for the Blues in the Champions League. As it turned out, Otago won New Zealand's domestic equivalent and he represented his home team instead.

It looks as if New Zealand's top players could be available for the start of the English Twenty20 league - snappily named the Friends Provident P20 - and the finals.

"Yes, there has been some interest, but we're waiting to get the schedules finalised from New Zealand Cricket before progressing," player manager Leanne McGoldrick said.

McGoldrick, whose list of clients includes Taylor, Shane Bond, Ian Butler and Daryl Tuffey, would not say which counties were interested, though Bond had a successful stint with Hampshire last year.

Each of the 18 counties are allowed to recruit four overseas players.

The English competition begins on June 1, with the quarter-finals at the end of July. There is then a two-week break before the semis and final.

New Zealand players will be involved in the second half of the Indian Premier League from the start of April until April 25. They will miss at least the first week with New Zealand's second test against Australia beginning at Hamilton on March 27.

After the IPL, New Zealand head to the Caribbean for the world Twenty20 championship from April 30 to May 16.

New Zealand are due to tour Zimbabwe in June, but that may again be deferred on political grounds; play a tri-series with India in Sri Lanka in July; tour Bangladesh for two tests and three ODIs in October; and play three tests and five ODIs in India through November-December.

The fact Australian states were keen on New Zealand's cream, and prepared to pay them handsomely, will give further impetus for those who believe it is a matter of time before the country's elite start turning down central contracts to go "freelance".

This would not necessarily preclude them from playing for their country, but would allow them scope to pull out of training camps and warm-up matches if they clashed with lucrative Twenty20 commitments.

It would be similar to the IPL-contracted players who were allowed to skip the early part of New Zealand's test tour of England last year to squeeze in some Indian playing time.

NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said players seeking a release from their contracts to play for English counties was nothing new and didn't pose a problem if it didn't clash directly with a national team event.

"Under their contracts their priorities need to be to play for New Zealand and for their major associations, and under the current contract system it's pretty clear where those lines are drawn," Vaughan said. "If a player came for a release [which conflicted with New Zealand obligations] we'd say, 'Sorry, no, we want you to play for New Zealand at that time'."

Vaughan confirmed players' agents had contacted him seeking clarity round the dates of the trip to Sri Lanka, which is the crunch event in relation to the English county question.

"If they are selected for that tour they would not be playing for a county," Vaughan reiterated.

But what if a player tried to reverse the situation, and seek to be available for New Zealand between other more lucrative engagements round the world?

"That is not an ideal situation," Vaughan said.

However he is reluctant to stamp his foot on a delicate issue, with negotiations on a new collective agreement with the players' association coming up shortly.

The IPL has announced two new franchises will be added in 2011 - probably in Ahmedabad and Lucknow, and able to sign 10 overseas players.

ROAD TO RICHES

* Top New Zealand players are looking at English county deals for their domestic Twenty20 competition next year
* There is potential for those to conflict with New Zealand Cricket commitments, which they must fulfil under their national contracts
* Several players have turned down lucrative offers to play in Australia's Twenty20 competition this season because of their NZC contracts
* NZC says the situation is "manageable at the moment"
* Negotiations for the next collective contract between the players and NZC are due to start shortly
* With players keen to maximise their earning potential, the prospect is for more crunch in the contract talks