Black Caps captain Kane Williamson has stepped down from the role and announced he won't be signing a central contract for 2025.
He'll still be available for the Black Caps, but he'll also be able to play in well-paid T20 leagues around the world.
Heath Mills from the Players' Association spoke to D'Arcy Waldegrave on Sportstalk about whether every player will be doing this soon.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Wildergrave
from News Talk Z'B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Announced today that Kane Williamson is going to walk away
from his central contract, yet he'll still be playing some
Test cricket and some international cricket the one day platform
for New Zealand. He's off to seek the riches of
the T twenty. Quite understandable to talk about that and
the effect that T twenty is having on the game
(00:35):
global and has done for quite some time and will
continue to do. And tell somebody in a position about
actually Pul's finger and does something. We go to the
boss of the New Zealand at Cricket Players Association, Heath Mills.
He joins us. Now, Heath, welcome to the show. She's
been a big day.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Good yeah, I guess there's always always a bit of
interest when the player like Caane makes a move like
he's done today.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I guess, yeah, so it's a big move. He's decided
not to pick up a central contract anymore. He still
will be available. The captaincy is no longer his and
he's going to carry on his career basically cruising around
the world playing T twenty, make himself a bit of coin.
It makes sense for a person like him. How long
has this been in the pipeline for Heath.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Look, I think we've seen this for a few years
now now where the growth of the T twenty franchise
leagues around the world, commercial partners, broadcast as fans, they're
really engaging those leagues and they're becoming more and more
attractive to our players, and our players are in demand.
So now, obviously last year we had Trent and Jimmy
Nisham who who opted to take casual playing agreements with
(01:44):
New Zealand Crickets so they could be away in January February,
essentially the height of our summer playing and T twenty
franchise competitions, and Kine has made the call to do
that this year, So it's not shouldn't be surprised to anyone,
and I think we're going to see a few more,
maybe not this year, maybe one or two more this year,
but certainly in the years ahead, where where our guys
(02:04):
are just so attractive to these petitions and they're growing
in value of the competition, so unfortunately they're often played
at the height of our summer, so they're going to
make the choice to go and participate in these leagues,
and I guess Darcy, from out my point of view,
I think we've got a really good contract system here
in New Zealand, in a good partnership with New Zealand Cricket,
(02:25):
and we have flexibility in our system. So although Kane
is not going to be on an international plane agreement,
he essentially is still going to be playing for New
Zealand for most of the year. It's just that he
won't be here in January. In February he'll be off
playing for someone else. But I know talking to Kane
he's very very committed to his Test career and wants
(02:45):
to keep playing Test cricket for the next two or
three years in major ic events, etc. So I don't
think it's the end of the world. It's actually probably
quite a good outcome for him and New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Credit Basically, New Zealand Cricket have to equierce to the
wants of these leagues because there's just simply so much
money and there's no point in fighting against that. They've
got to work with it. And that's a broader picture
around windows for these major competitions and the relationship between
standard bilateral series and Test one day internationals and the
(03:18):
T twenty leagues. This is still a very fine balance.
How far down the track are we to determining something
slightly more concrete, Heath.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Well, I think you're heading on what the actual problem
is here, players like Trenton Kine and whoever else to
type deciding not to take international national contracts, or this
situation we had last year where the South African sent
out their effective BC test site to play because their
best side was staying and the best players were staying
(03:48):
in South Africa paying and their T twenty competition. They
are all symptoms of the bigger problem we have, which
is a schedule that is not centrally driven and makes
no sense. So you know, as long as we've got
each of the national boards affect the designing their own
schedule and when their own competitive T twenty competitions will
(04:11):
be played, and no one working together to create an
annual program that works, we're going to have these sorts
of decisions being made by both national boards to send
effective B teams to play international cricket or players opting
out of full time international cricket contracts. And I think
that's sad because It could could easily be solved if
they were to come together and to have an annual
(04:33):
program that prioritized international cricket for periods during the year,
but also created windows for T twenty franchise competitions. And
that could be done if they all were to compromise
a bit and perhaps not get you the T twenty
complained at the perfect time for them, or International Ashes
series or whatever it might be played at the perfect time.
(04:53):
If they all compromised, we could have a schedule where
we got the best of both worlds, where players could
participate in franchise competitions but they are restricted to certain
times during the year, and they then ensured that for
the rest of the year, the best players we're playing
international cricket. Sadly, I've seen no evidence in twenty plus
years of the boards coming together to agree a program
(05:15):
like that, so I have no confidence they will in
the short to medium too. So I think what we're
going to see is more of this where where over
time cricket moves to more of a franchise level sport
with the best players coming together at peak times, whether
for ICC events or hopefully Test cricket maybe other important
(05:35):
series to play international cricket. Is that the perfect outcome?
I don't think so, but I suspect that's where we're heading.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
But you said twenty years and it's a long time
to bash your head against the wall. Where's the responsibility?
Who does it lie with? Do have any teeth? Is
it all about the BCCI? Who actually do you think
has got the whip hand? And maybe you could drag
this conversation forward to a solution that suits everybody.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Heath Look, I think it's a good question. The ICC
essentially is in the management company. That's what their management
staff will tell you. That they are there to put
on one ICC event a year and that there are
members organization. So if you go to their board then
it's actually got fourteen fifteen people sitting around the board table,
(06:21):
and they are representatives of the Test playing countries and
Schinzellen crickets one. And it's a federated model, much like
we send some other sports close to home, where the
person going to the board table acts in the best
interests of their own organization rather than what's in the
best interest of the sport as a whole. So I
think that governance structure is very limited in terms have
(06:43):
been able to provide a solution. Sadly that they could
if obviously that India and the BCCI are the biggest
board and they should probably get more of a say
on some things. I think eighty percent of the revenue
and world cricket comes out of India, so they should
be having a significant say. But the other boards could
collectively work together and work within the say actually we
(07:07):
need to create these windows. We need to create a
program that works, and this is what it needs to
look like. And we all have all got to compromise
a bit because India also obviously needs all the other
international boards to tour India to generate all the money.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
That it does.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
So there would be a way through this if everyone
came together collectively and made the decision decisions and the
best interests of cricket. But sadly they just don't do that,
and they all get picked off and act individually. And
I understand it. We've experienced it for twenty years. So
I think whilst that remains to be the case, then
(07:43):
you're going to have third parties, some of which are boards.
Remember some of the Cricket Board's own T twenty competitions
and are trying to grow them, and they're prioritizing those
T twenty competitions above international cricket. Those boards and private
interests are looking at cricket and going, well, we can
we can develop a better competition model here in a
better structure, and I think the form My final point
(08:04):
would be to say, you know, ICC events are really
valuable because there's a start point, there's an endpoint, go
you typically go for five weeks. It's very tribal because
there's national teams playing. Typically the best athletes in the
world are playing in those ICC events, best cricketers, so
the broadcasters love them, the fans engage in them. The
same can be said for some of the big T
(08:25):
twenty franchise competitions, where there's a start point, there's an endpoint.
It's a very fair competition. Everyone plays each other the
same amount of times, and often there's the best players
are playing in the big T twenty leagues, so fans
are engaged and broadcasters and commercial partners like them. International
bilateral cricket has no context and meaning. Most of the time,
(08:47):
there are five games here in T twenty three games
there in ODI cricket. No one really understands what they're
building towards. They just sit in series and matches in
isolation of each other, and now often not the best
players are playing. So broadcasters in commercial partners and fans
are saying, actually, I'm not so much interested in Moore
(09:07):
and we play too much of it. So that's I
think what's driving that what cricket will look like in
the future. Fans and commercial partners will go with this
context and meaning and they know the best players are
playing and whilst we're playing international cricket twelve months of
the year, no one sort of understands how it all
relates to each other. There's an individual series all over
(09:28):
the show. Then I think the fans are going to
turn more onto ICC events in the T twenty leagues
as a result.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
the'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Wildergrave
from News Talk Z'B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Announced today that Kane Williamson is going to walk away
from his central contract, yet he'll still be playing some
Test cricket and some international cricket the one day platform
for New Zealand. He's off to seek the riches of
the T twenty. Quite understandable to talk about that and
the effect that T twenty is having on the game
(00:35):
global and has done for quite some time and will
continue to do. And tell somebody in a position about
actually Pul's finger and does something. We go to the
boss of the New Zealand at Cricket Players Association, Heath Mills.
He joins us. Now, Heath, welcome to the show. She's
been a big day.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Good yeah, I guess there's always always a bit of
interest when the player like Caane makes a move like
he's done today.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I guess, yeah, so it's a big move. He's decided
not to pick up a central contract anymore. He still
will be available. The captaincy is no longer his and
he's going to carry on his career basically cruising around
the world playing T twenty, make himself a bit of coin.
It makes sense for a person like him. How long
has this been in the pipeline for Heath.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Look, I think we've seen this for a few years
now now where the growth of the T twenty franchise
leagues around the world, commercial partners, broadcast as fans, they're
really engaging those leagues and they're becoming more and more
attractive to our players, and our players are in demand.
So now, obviously last year we had Trent and Jimmy
Nisham who who opted to take casual playing agreements with
(01:44):
New Zealand Crickets so they could be away in January February,
essentially the height of our summer playing and T twenty
franchise competitions, and Kine has made the call to do
that this year, So it's not shouldn't be surprised to anyone,
and I think we're going to see a few more,
maybe not this year, maybe one or two more this year,
but certainly in the years ahead, where where our guys
(02:04):
are just so attractive to these petitions and they're growing
in value of the competition, so unfortunately they're often played
at the height of our summer, so they're going to
make the choice to go and participate in these leagues,
and I guess Darcy, from out my point of view,
I think we've got a really good contract system here
in New Zealand, in a good partnership with New Zealand Cricket,
(02:25):
and we have flexibility in our system. So although Kane
is not going to be on an international plane agreement,
he essentially is still going to be playing for New
Zealand for most of the year. It's just that he
won't be here in January. In February he'll be off
playing for someone else. But I know talking to Kane
he's very very committed to his Test career and wants
(02:45):
to keep playing Test cricket for the next two or
three years in major ic events, etc. So I don't
think it's the end of the world. It's actually probably
quite a good outcome for him and New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Credit Basically, New Zealand Cricket have to equierce to the
wants of these leagues because there's just simply so much
money and there's no point in fighting against that. They've
got to work with it. And that's a broader picture
around windows for these major competitions and the relationship between
standard bilateral series and Test one day internationals and the
(03:18):
T twenty leagues. This is still a very fine balance.
How far down the track are we to determining something
slightly more concrete, Heath.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Well, I think you're heading on what the actual problem
is here, players like Trenton Kine and whoever else to
type deciding not to take international national contracts, or this
situation we had last year where the South African sent
out their effective BC test site to play because their
best side was staying and the best players were staying
(03:48):
in South Africa paying and their T twenty competition. They
are all symptoms of the bigger problem we have, which
is a schedule that is not centrally driven and makes
no sense. So you know, as long as we've got
each of the national boards affect the designing their own
schedule and when their own competitive T twenty competitions will
(04:11):
be played, and no one working together to create an
annual program that works, we're going to have these sorts
of decisions being made by both national boards to send
effective B teams to play international cricket or players opting
out of full time international cricket contracts. And I think
that's sad because It could could easily be solved if
they were to come together and to have an annual
(04:33):
program that prioritized international cricket for periods during the year,
but also created windows for T twenty franchise competitions. And
that could be done if they all were to compromise
a bit and perhaps not get you the T twenty
complained at the perfect time for them, or International Ashes
series or whatever it might be played at the perfect time.
(04:53):
If they all compromised, we could have a schedule where
we got the best of both worlds, where players could
participate in franchise competitions but they are restricted to certain
times during the year, and they then ensured that for
the rest of the year, the best players we're playing
international cricket. Sadly, I've seen no evidence in twenty plus
years of the boards coming together to agree a program
(05:15):
like that, so I have no confidence they will in
the short to medium too. So I think what we're
going to see is more of this where where over
time cricket moves to more of a franchise level sport
with the best players coming together at peak times, whether
for ICC events or hopefully Test cricket maybe other important
(05:35):
series to play international cricket. Is that the perfect outcome?
I don't think so, but I suspect that's where we're heading.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
But you said twenty years and it's a long time
to bash your head against the wall. Where's the responsibility?
Who does it lie with? Do have any teeth? Is
it all about the BCCI? Who actually do you think
has got the whip hand? And maybe you could drag
this conversation forward to a solution that suits everybody.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Heath Look, I think it's a good question. The ICC
essentially is in the management company. That's what their management
staff will tell you. That they are there to put
on one ICC event a year and that there are
members organization. So if you go to their board then
it's actually got fourteen fifteen people sitting around the board table,
(06:21):
and they are representatives of the Test playing countries and
Schinzellen crickets one. And it's a federated model, much like
we send some other sports close to home, where the
person going to the board table acts in the best
interests of their own organization rather than what's in the
best interest of the sport as a whole. So I
think that governance structure is very limited in terms have
(06:43):
been able to provide a solution. Sadly that they could
if obviously that India and the BCCI are the biggest
board and they should probably get more of a say
on some things. I think eighty percent of the revenue
and world cricket comes out of India, so they should
be having a significant say. But the other boards could
collectively work together and work within the say actually we
(07:07):
need to create these windows. We need to create a
program that works, and this is what it needs to
look like. And we all have all got to compromise
a bit because India also obviously needs all the other
international boards to tour India to generate all the money.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
That it does.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
So there would be a way through this if everyone
came together collectively and made the decision decisions and the
best interests of cricket. But sadly they just don't do that,
and they all get picked off and act individually. And
I understand it. We've experienced it for twenty years. So
I think whilst that remains to be the case, then
(07:43):
you're going to have third parties, some of which are boards.
Remember some of the Cricket Board's own T twenty competitions
and are trying to grow them, and they're prioritizing those
T twenty competitions above international cricket. Those boards and private
interests are looking at cricket and going, well, we can
we can develop a better competition model here in a
better structure, and I think the form My final point
(08:04):
would be to say, you know, ICC events are really
valuable because there's a start point, there's an endpoint, go
you typically go for five weeks. It's very tribal because
there's national teams playing. Typically the best athletes in the
world are playing in those ICC events, best cricketers, so
the broadcasters love them, the fans engage in them. The
same can be said for some of the big T
(08:25):
twenty franchise competitions, where there's a start point, there's an endpoint.
It's a very fair competition. Everyone plays each other the
same amount of times, and often there's the best players
are playing in the big T twenty leagues, so fans
are engaged and broadcasters and commercial partners like them. International
bilateral cricket has no context and meaning. Most of the time,
(08:47):
there are five games here in T twenty three games
there in ODI cricket. No one really understands what they're
building towards. They just sit in series and matches in
isolation of each other, and now often not the best
players are playing. So broadcasters in commercial partners and fans
are saying, actually, I'm not so much interested in Moore
(09:07):
and we play too much of it. So that's I
think what's driving that what cricket will look like in
the future. Fans and commercial partners will go with this
context and meaning and they know the best players are
playing and whilst we're playing international cricket twelve months of
the year, no one sort of understands how it all
relates to each other. There's an individual series all over
(09:28):
the show. Then I think the fans are going to
turn more onto ICC events in the T twenty leagues
as a result.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
the'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!