In a move which could set a precedent for the future, pacer Mitchell McClenaghan has been released from his central contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) in light of the former’s wish to make the most of his opportunities in T20 cricket leagues around the globe.
The 31-year-old, who has played 48 ODIs and 28 T20Is for his country, had recently been picked by Durban Qalanders in the player draft for Cricket South Africa’s inaugural T20 Global League on Sunday.
The left-armer had submitted a request to NZC asking for the termination of his contract so that he could take part in the T20 Global League in November as well as the Big Bash League (BBL) December onwards.
In a press release by NZC, the pacer is quoted as saying: “Some new playing opportunities have arisen in the past few weeks which mean my circumstances have changed. I’m very grateful for the respect, understanding and goodwill which has underpinned my request to be released from my NZC contract.
“I’ve worked closely with NZC throughout the process, while also making it clear I still harbour ambitions of playing for New Zealand in the future,” he added.
McClenaghan has been donning the colours of St. Lucia Stars in the CPL lately.
McClenaghan will still remain available for selection for the Black Caps in the future whenever available. This move however, is a testament to the financial pull of the ever-growing franchisee based T20 leagues around the world.
The pacer has become a T20 specialist of late with his involvement in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and the Natwest T20 blast in England. With the addition of the Global T20 League and the BBL in McClenaghan’s calendar it does seem a wise move on the part of the 31-year-old to concentrate on the shortest-format.
As T20 leagues continue to grow all over the world, it does lead to the question if franchisee cricket could overtake national commitments for players in the future. The monetary packages on offer in the various leagues might make it worthwhile for a lot many fringe players in the various national setups to secure their financial independence.
With Pakistan and Bangladesh having leagues of their own, South Africa’s latest foray in the world of franchisee cricket adds to the already well established and flourishing versions from India, Australia, England and the West Indies.
One can find a league in almost every Test playing nation these days and there will be no dearth of options for the limited-overs specialists around the world.
The New Zealand pacer was a key part of the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
The less gruelling schedules along with the reduced workload which come with T20 cricket could also play a part in enticing more players like McClenaghan to choose club over country.
It remains to be seen if such a shift in players thinking could come about in the near future, but it is surely worth keeping an eye out for in the next couple of years or so.
No one can blame McClenaghan for making the best of the opportunities available to him as he enters the tail-end of his career without having played a single Test for New Zealand.
Chris Gayle himself has become a globe-trotting T20 specialist for the last three years before his most recent recall to the West Indies limited-overs squad for the England ODIs.
McClenaghan is not the first cricketer to choose franchisee cricket as his primary source of income and he definitely won’t be the last.
