Jason Pine: What is the future of New Zealand's cricket?

You've heard from Greg Barclay. 

He was unequivocal, wasn't he, that what Kane Williamson is doing is simply part of what he called the evolution of the game. A fact of life. 

Greg Barclay wants member associations to embrace the T20 leagues and work more closely with them. 

The sport's governing body has clearly worked out there's no point fighting against T20 leagues, they're here and here to stay, and growing. 

The IPL, The Big Bash, The Caribbean Premier League, The SA 20, Major League Cricket, and the UAE competition. 

What I heard there from Greg Barclay was that ICC members need to adjust their thinking, fit in with these comps, not fight against them. 

Because resistance is futile. There's too much money on offer now for players. 

If national associations try to restrict their players from taking part and earning what they can in these comps, they'll just leave. 

Playing international cricket won't be enough to keep them all, just as the black jersey can't keep all our best rugby players here. 

Wearing the Black Cap is only attractive to a point. 

NZC have to be creative and flexible in their contracting, which I think they have been here with Kane. 

The fact is, he'll miss very little international cricket next Summer. 

One thing that does worry me a bit is our own domestic league, the Super Smash. 

Kane Williamson has effectively chosen the South African T20 comp over his home country's comp, presumably for money partially, but also for the opportunities there and something different for his family to experience. 

I don't feel as though South African cricketers —or players from other countries, certainly not players the calibre of Kane Williamson— are queuing up to play in our Super Smash. 

Anyone who's un-contracted can now, in January, play in South Africa, in the Aussie Big Bash, or here in New Zealand, and it doesn't feel as though many are choosing us. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
He was unequivocal, wasn't he right at the start that
what came Williamson is doing is simply part of what
Greg Barclay called the evolution of the game. A fact
of life, I think is what he said. Greg Barklay
wants member of associations like New Zealand Cricket to embrace
the twenty twenty franchise leagues and work more closely with them.

(00:35):
The sports governing body, the ICC has clearly worked out
there's no point fighting against the T twenty leagues. They're here,
they're here to stay and their number is growing.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
What have we got?

Speaker 2 (00:46):
The IPL, the Big Bash, Caribbean Premier League, the Essay twenty.
That's the South African one Major League Cricket in the US,
which is going to be quite big yet imagine Pat
Cummins has signed up there for four years. The UAE competition.
What I heard there from Greg Barclay was that ICC
members need to adjust their thinking. They need to fit

(01:07):
with these competitions, not fight against them, because resistance is futile, really,
isn't it. There's too much money on offer now for
top players. If national associations try to restrict their players
from taking part and earning what they can in these
franchise competitions, they'll just leave. Playing international cricket won't be

(01:32):
enough to keep them all here, just as the Black
Jersey can't keep all of our best rugby players here.
Wearing the black cap is only attractive up to a point. Yes,
it's an attraction, of course, it is playing for your country.
You'll listen to these players and they will say yes,
it is still very important to us and in fact
it gives them a shop window from which they can

(01:53):
be selected into these franchise leagues. But New Zealand Cricket
have to be creative from flexible in their contracting, which
I think they have been here with Kan Williamson to
be fair. The fact is he will miss very little
national cricket next summer, and you heard that from him
and the small clip I played at the top of
the show and in the other answers he gave during

(02:14):
that media conference. Playing for New Zealand is still very
important to Camee Williamson and it's just the fact that
he can't be here for the home summer when there's
no international cricket in January that he's not able to
take up a central contract. One thing though, that does
worry me before we go to the phones is our
own domestic league, the Super Smash. Now Came Williamson has

(02:37):
effectively chosen the South African T twenty comp over his
home countries T twenty comp. That's what he's done. He
said in January, I'm going to play in South Africa,
not in New Zealand, presumably for the money partially of course,
but also for the opportunities there and something different for
his family. I don't feel as though South African cricketers,

(03:00):
all players from other countries, certainly not players of the
caliber of Came Williamson, are queuing up to come and
play in our Super Smash, because anyone who's on contract
that could now in January choose South Africa, or they
could choose the Aussie Big Bash, or they could choose
our Super Smash, and it just doesn't feel as though

(03:21):
many are choosing us over those.

Speaker 1 (03:25):
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