Sir Richard Hadlee on the IPL/ICL

Sir Richard Hadlee has criticised New Zealand Cricket for allowing the five players involved in the Indian Premier League to arrive late for their tour of England. Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills and Ross Taylor arrived in England last Wednesday, having missed the first two tour matches because they were cashing in their chips in India instead.

Speaking to promote Sky Sports' coverage of the Test series, which starts on May 15, Hadlee, the chairman of selectors, told me: "I made my thoughts well known to New Zealand Cricket. I felt that the tour starts the day the players assemble and while I understand and accept the decision made - the compromise with the players - it wasn't a good look arriving in this county without the captain and vice-captain."

Hadlee called for a window in the international schedule to allow the IPL to be played, or failing that he said that it must be made clear that international players have to be released for their full duties rather than arriving mid-tour. "International players have to be available for their countries," he said. "You can't blame the players for wanting to be in the IPL - gosh, look the money is very attractive for not a lot of work and effort - but the global game has to survive and not be compromised. There needs to be a total understanding that once international commitments are there either you are a part of it or not.
These guys will pick up the money next year as there isn't a conflict."

New Zealand have also lost several first-choice players who opted to play in the unauthorised Indian Cricket League. Shane Bond, Lou Vincent, Craig MacMillan and Daryl Tuffey may all have played on this tour and Hadlee complained that "the ICL is eroding our player base".

Another player missing for at least the first part of the tour is Jesse Ryder, the 23-year-old wild child who is quite a talent when he's not slashing open his hand trying to break into lavatories. "Jesse has had some issues that have probably kept him back but we've bitten the bullet on him," Hadlee said. "He's got talent and we thought when we brought him back that he would grow in the environment. He knows in no uncertain terms that if there is another breach of behaviour issues... well, you'd think he'd want to toe the line. He can play and has got lovely hands - well, one's damaged - but he can hit the ball well."

Comments

[Political Umpire]

Rusty given the scant resources available to NZ cricket that is a bit harsh. Secondly, the All Blacks can't play the world cup for one reason or another but have been far and away the most successful teams between world cups, so 'failed' is slightly over the top as well.

The fact is that no domestic board can compete with the money on offer (especially in terms of how little one has to play to earn it) in India. Therefore, either the ICC accommodates the IPL (and, painfully, the ICL) fully into the international programme or test cricket will suffer terribly. 50 over cricket might die completely, but that would be no bad thing.

[Rusty]

Perhaps Hadlee should look closer at why someone of the talent of Bond should go to the ICL in the first place.

Supporting your employees is bottom line stuff these days. Maybe the Kiwis need to start looking beyond their failed (sigh) Allblacks and recognize that NZ produces great cricketers, as well.