New Zealand Cricket have announced that they are terminating the contract of fast bowler Shane Bond, who has signed to play for the rebel Indian Cricket League.

The loss of their top fast bowler will hurt the Black Caps in their upcoming series with England, but the bigger picture of what to do about the rebel competition remains unanswered. NZC have claimed the termination was by mutual agreement. It was understood that Bond would only play in India when international commitments permitted; however, the potential political fallout proved too much for NZC to handle.

There exists a gentlemen's agreement amongst ICC member countries to exclude ICL players from their national teams and NZC appears to lack to backbone to break rank. CEO Justin Vaughan made NZC's position very clear: "At some stage in the future we may be able to welcome Shane back into the Black Caps, either when he is no longer playing for the ICL, or when that competition does not exist.”

'As more top players defect to the ICL, the game's administrators will have to rethink their bury-their-heads-in-the-sand strategy'


The defection of Bond brings to seven the number of former Black Caps who have defected to the rebel Indian competition - Bond is the first front-line player to do so. Nathan Astle, Chris Cairns and Chris Harris are retired from international cricket, while Craig McMillan and Hamish Marshall are out of the selection picture. Only Darryl Tuffey had a chance of returning to the Black Caps but found himself a long way down the bowling depth chart.

The absence of Bond and the injury to paceman James Franklin leaves New Zealand heading into the home series against England without their two top quickies. The only veteran fast bowler remaining in the squad is Chris Martin, backed up by relative new comer Iain O'Brien.

Bond has been the most successful fast bowler for New Zealand in recent years, despite his injury problems. Playing just 17 Tests in six years he took 79 wickets at an average of 22.39, just 0.1 runs more than New Zealand's best ever pace bowler, Sir Richard Hadlee.

In ODIs Bond has already established himself as one of New Zealand's best ever bowlers, sitting seventh on New Zealand's all-time wicket takers list and top of the bowling averages list with a measly 19.32. Black Caps fans will remember fondly his performance in the 2002 VB Series where he dominated the Australian batsmen, finishing the series with 21 wickets.

As more top players defect to the ICL, the game's administrators will have to rethink their bury-their-heads-in-the-sand strategy. It may have worked when the ICL was recruiting recently retired international cricketers, but the ICC cannot ignore current players of the calibre of Bond joining the rebels.

The fact that the current political climate has forced Bond from the international stage means that it is the fans who lose out. In the 1970s, World Series Cricket threatened to split the international game in two, and, as fans, it is sad to see that current administrators have not learned the lessons of the past and seem doomed to repeat the same mistakes.