By contrast, Australian contract holders (whether Cricket Australia or state-based) are required to train and play on home soil between September (at the nominal end of the English season) and April, albeit with an exception for the Indian Premier League.
Nevertheless, the increasing number of rich Twenty20 events, plus the recent explosion in the value of the IPL broadcast rights – set to be reflected in the league’s salary cap from next year – means that not even Cricket Australia will be able to ring-fence its players for too much longer.
”We’ve tried to manage his workload, but he’s found it increasingly difficult,” New Zealand Cricket chief David White told Stuff.co.nz of Boult. “But I also think the combination of COVID and managed isolation over the last few years has had an impact as well. I know that Trent’s found that difficult.
“He’s played for New Zealand for 11 years and has been a terrific player, and we respect that, so we’ve had very positive conversations, and we’ve worked through it together. We’re incredibly respectful of him and what he’s done for the country, the way he’s played in all three formats has been quite outstanding.”
Australia’s head coach, Andrew McDonald, said the evolution of the cricket system had been continuous throughout his playing career, and expected conversations around international cricket to oscillate in tune with the staging of major events.
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“The game has accelerated in the last 10 years, and what does it look like in the next 10 years, I’m not sure,” McDonald told SEN.
“I think the heat will come onto different formats at different times. One-day cricket’s under the pump now, what does it look like in terms of a World Cup next year in India? I think it’s going to be big. Then it’ll become about T20 international cricket, is that relevant because it’s not a World Cup year.”
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