New Zealand look to counter ICL threat

Radical measures could be taken to prevent their players from signing lucrative contracts with the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and turning their backs on their country, Justin Vaughan, New Zealand Cricket's chief executive, has said. These measures include increasing the number of centrally contracted players to 25 as well as increasing the value of player retainers.

The inaugural edition of the ICL included retired players from New Zealand like Nathan Astle, Chris Cairns, Craig McMillan and Chris Harris. While New Zealand lost just two current players to the league - Daryll Tuffey and Hamish Marshall - Vaughan fears that the number could increase, with the ICL organisers announcing plans for four new tournaments next season and also increasing the number of teams from six to eight. ICL-contracted players are allowed to play domestic cricket in New Zealand but are not eligible for selection for national or A teams.

"We have a shallow player pool and we can't afford to lose players," Vaughan told the New Zealand's Herald on Sunday. "But we are keeping an eye on it and maybe there are things that we can look at in the structure of our contracts."

The Indian board has also lured New Zealand's premier players like Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum, Jacob Oram and Scott Styris, to sign up for its officially-sanctioned, cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL), set to commence in April next year. While these players have agreed to honour their country ahead of their franchise teams and that the IPL is not viewed as a threat unlike the ICL, Vaughan felt that the board will have to ensure they aren't tempted by the financial incentives being offered by the BCCI to participate.

"The process of picking these players is the BCCI's business and we've put forward our best players for consideration and they choose who they want," Vaughan said.

Vaughan said the matter was being discussed with the New Zealand Cricket Players' Association to work out a new structure for the contracts. Retaining elite players would, in all probability, be given more importance than increasing the pool of untried contracted players.

"We don't know how we might structure that but we will be working very closely with the [New Zealand] Players' Association on this one," Vaughan said. "We are starting to talk to Heath Mills, [Players' Association head] about what might be possible. It's this balance - yes we'd like to lock up as many players as possible but, you can either pay fewer people more or more people basically what they're getting now."

Source : http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/