With more and more New Zealand internationals giving up central contracts for overseas T20 contracts, Test captain Tim Saudi is hoping the board and franchise leagues can “work together in some way” to make it easier for players to make their club-versus-country choices. New Zealand have been hit hardest in recent years with high-profile players such as Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne giving up central contracts offered by New Zealand Cricket (NZC).
Finn Allen and Devon Conway, who will join BBL side Perth Scorchers on two-year contracts, are the latest additions to the list. Conway is on a temporary contract, meaning he will be eligible to play in all nine Test matches New Zealand play next season, and like Williamson, will miss only the white-ball games in January, instead taking part in the SA20 tournament.
“Yes, I think it is a decision that each individual board will consider,” Southee said on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Awards in Mumbai, citing scheduling conflicts. “So at this stage, the franchise leagues and the franchise world are growing. It would be good to see the international (board) and the leagues working together in some way, especially because I think Test cricket is still the pinnacle of formats for a lot of players.
“I think the direction cricket is going and the T20 leagues are booming. In terms of Kane and Devon, they are still committed to New Zealand cricket, we have nine Test matches coming up. So they are committed to those Test matches. So it’s not that different in terms of the Test side. They will still be there even if they don’t have a New Zealand contract.”
Southee, speaking for himself, said he had not had to give up much international cricket for T20 leagues around the world, but the Test format was “closest to my heart”. He spent the off-season in New Zealand in the Hundred and was the top wicket-taker with 14 wickets for the Birmingham Phoenix, with an economy rate of 6.81.
“Formally, I think Test cricket is still the pinnacle for me and the format I hold dearest to my heart,” Southee said. “I really enjoy T20. The hundred format keeps you young, makes you guess, makes you think, tries to improve your game and your skills, and that helps in other formats as well.”
New Zealand now head to Asia for one game against Afghanistan, two against Sri Lanka and three against India in India before returning home for three Tests against England in November-December. The current scheduling conflict with the T20 league may not have a major impact on New Zealand’s player availability for the upcoming season, but if the trend of opting out of central contracts continues in the changing landscape of franchise T20 cricket, there could be bigger problems for NZC going forward.
When asked how he would resolve the issue, Southee said: “I don’t know the answer. I don’t think a lot of people know at the moment. So I think it’s about figuring out what’s best for each board and each player. New Zealand cricket seem to think that’s the best way forward for the next 12 months. I don’t think Kane and Devon will miss a lot of cricket in New Zealand, so they’ve got to be flexible in doing that and still be committed to New Zealand and I think that’s where the casual-playing agreements come in.”
‘Ideally, I would like to participate in all the tests over the next few months.’
As New Zealand embark on a journey to the subcontinent for the Tests against Afghanistan starting on September 9, they will also consider leaving Southee out of the XI for some matches to accommodate more spinners, head coach Gary Stead said recently. Southee is the captain of the Test squad for the Tests against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, but if conditions are not too favourable for the seamer, Stead and Southee have decided that the captain may have to serve the drinks instead.
“Coming here, it feels natural,” Southee said. “Obviously spin plays a big part but ideally I want to play every Test I can. I love Test cricket but I know it needs balance and it’s not going to be easy playing nine Tests over the next few months as a pace bowler. So it’s all about managing the workload because there’s a lot of Test cricket. But I want to play all the games as long as I’m fit and ready to play.
New Zealand have selected five spin bowlers for the first three Tests in Asia: Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Sentner, Michael Bracewell and Glenn Phillips. Most of them are all-rounders, so the team management will decide on the best eleven for each match depending on the match situation.
“Yeah, I think we (Stead and I) have talked about balance (in the team), in case it’s something we need to look at,” Southee said of the team’s balance. “Like I said, we’ve played six Tests in the subcontinent. Balance in the team is something you talk about, but yeah, it may or may not happen, it’s something we talk about and if it does, we’ll be able to overcome it. So yeah, we want to play all the Tests, but we look at the workload and we look at the best team for the Tests and we build the team around that.
“I think it’s important to pick the best team in a Test match, no matter where you are in the world. I think it’s the same wherever you go. You decide to win over five days. That’s why there’s a lot of cricket in the subcontinent, six Test matches, three Test matches at home.”
Ironically, Southee’s best Test figures came in 2012 in Bengaluru, when he took 7 out of 64, and overall he averaged 28.70 in five Tests in India, slightly better than his career Test average of 29.61. In Asia, that average fell further to 26.50 in 17 Tests, including a 5-run win at Kanpur on his last visit to India.
