AUSTRALIA may end up playing a New Zealand second XI in November's Test series, with star fast bowler Shane Bond in line to become the latest Kiwi to abandon the national side and join India's rebel Twenty20 league.
New Zealand and other countries with modestly paid players are in danger of being gutted by the breakaway International Cricket League, further damaging the standard of international cricket.
As the well-paid Australians continue their complete domination by attempting to equal their own amazing record of 16 successive Test victories, in the second Test against India beginning at the SCG tomorrow, the soft underbelly of the game is being exposed by India's big-money brawling over Twenty20 and television rights.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has set up the rival Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition, to begin in April, and is paying big money for international stars, including Australians, to be part of it, but players overlooked by the official IPL are joining the ICL.
It is not only international cricket that is under threat, but domestic first-class cricket, with falling standards not adequately preparing players for Test cricket.
The cricketing countries at greatest risk of being damaged are those that can least afford it and New Zealand is at the top of the list. Some players can earn more in a month playing with the ICL than for a full year playing for their country.
New Zealand Cricket is under enormous pressure from the BCCI to ban the six Kiwi players who took part in the inaugural ICL championship in India last month and is in a bind about what to do with Bond, who has signed to be part of an expanded ICL competition this year.
If NZC bans Bond, the best Kiwi paceman since Richard Hadlee, he can sue for restraint of trade. If he is allowed to play in the ICL, the billion-dollar wrath of the BCCI will reign down on the Kiwis, further damaging cricket in a country where it has been a marginal sport.
Bond may be only one of many ICL players from around the globe who may be able to take court action if they are banned by their home boards in what shapes as a messy and expensive fight that can only harm the game.
International players association chief executive Tim May made it clear FICA would protect the rights of players to earn a professional living, regardless of which competition they join.
"With New Zealand and these other poorly paid countries, it's incredibly enticing at the end of their career, or even in the middle of their career, to look after themselves," May said. "It's their job and they're trying to do the best for their families.
"You may well see more ICL contracted players signed up. So what are we going to do, have a New Zealand second XI out there? Is it in New Zealand's national interest to put out a half-baked team?
"Is it in world cricket's interest? These are the questions people really need to sit down and think about.
"And there is also the rights of the players to ply their trade.
"We want to encourage people to play cricket professionally, don't we? It's not necessarily a bad thing, this ICL.
"We will protect the players' rights to ply their trade, and the more people who can play international and domestic cricket and earn a living, isn't that in the interests of the game with competition from more and more sports out there professionally?"
New Zealand's dreadful lack of depth was exposed in last month's lopsided Chappell-Hadlee series, with one-day dasher Craig McMillan among those who retired to join the ICL.
Hamish Marshall and Daryl Tuffey might never again represent New Zealand after appearing in the ICL. NZC has told selectors to consider others ahead of the pair, while the other four players, Chris Cairns, McMillan, Nathan Astle and Chris Harris, have retired.
Pakistan has effectively banned three players including former captain Inzamam-Ul-Haq, but none of the Test countries will put in writing that players joining the ICL will be banned, for fear of being sued for restraint of trade.
"Of concern to us and what should be of concern to all players is that boards have not communicated formally their position despite requests from player associations in some of those countries," May said.
"It's important for players thinking of entering this competition that they understand the risks involved in playing in this so-called rebel league. If boards do not want to put their positions in writing, then the boards should not expect to restrict players from coming back and playing in their country's competitions."
Source : http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/
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