Bond ‘a victim of politics’

New Zealand fast-bowler Shane Bond says he became a ‘victim of politics’ when New Zealand Cricket discarded him.

Former New Zealand fast-bowler Shane Bond said that he became a ‘victim of politics’ when New Zealand Cricket (NZC) discarded him from the national team after his contract signing with the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Bond admitted that the NZC had let him down and claimed that he was given permission contractually to participate in the league but the board backed out after the intervention of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“What I’ll never understand is why it had to be one or the other, ICL or playing for New Zealand, especially when I received a cast-iron assurance that I could do both, and my contract with NZC certainly allowed for it,” said Bond in his book ‘Looking Back’. “In the end I became a victim of politics. As distasteful as that might be, I could learn to live with that. But what I can’t live with is the suggestion that I didn’t want to play for my country.”

Bond signed with the ICL in January 2008 and was not considered for the national team for nearly two years following his involvement with the unauthorised league. In June 2009 he made his international comeback when NZC allowed players to return to the national duty on the condition that they terminate their ICL contracts.

“Although I had been on a good contract by New Zealand standards, I hadn’t got rich out of the game. I’d done all right, obviously, but I simply hadn’t played long enough to accumulate the sort of income that would provide long-term security for my family once my career ended.”

He added that he had no regrets over his decision for wanting to play in the ICL. “One thing I’ll never regret is signing to play in the ICL. Not at all. I’ve achieved security for my family and in the long term that is more important than a few Test and one-day caps.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2010.