New Zealand Cricket's (NZC) contracted players are about to receive a major financial windfall while semi-professionals signed to the six provincial associations are also to be rewarded for staying loyal.
In a bid to stave off the riches on offer from the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), NZC will shell out significant pay increases to its 20 centrally contracted players and the 72 semi-professionals plying their trade for the major associations.
The Herald on Sunday newspaper yesterday reported the increase, facilitated by the $50 million broadcasting deal with Sony India Television last year, amounted to a 40% pay hike.
Then new pay scales are also to be backdated to June 1, 2006, meaning any player contracted to NZC or a major association will receive a lump sum within the next month.
Senior Black Caps like captain Daniel Vettori and his deputy Brendon McCullum are in line for a six-figure payment - less than a fortnight after they secured lucrative contracts with the sanctioned Indian Premier League (IPL) twenty/20 competition.
That payment will help offset the loss of earnings incurred when the pair join the upcoming tour of England while the inaugural IPL is under way.
NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said the lump sum would be paid in two instalments - half now and the remainder after India ends its tour to New Zealand next season.
The new scale sees the topranked NZC-contracted player earn $174,000 as a retainer fee.
This amount decreases in $6000 increments to the 18th player on the list.
Players ranked 18 to 20 will receive an annual retainer of $72,000.
That equates to a huge increase of what ICL-aligned pace bowler Shane Bond earned as New Zealand's No 1-ranked player on the old scale.
Bond had been on $128,000 while Craig Cumming, the 20th ranked player, was on $48,000.
Domestically, the top ranked player in an association will now earn a $36,500 retainer while the 12th will pick up $19,500, an increase from $24,000 and $12,000 respectively.
‘‘It's hard to compete with the chequebook numbers of the ICL,'' Vaughan told the Herald on Sunday.
‘‘If you're playing most of the games for the Black Caps, you're doing very well. If you add on the potential to pick up IPL contracts, or play a stint in [English] county cricket, the compensation is very good.''
Meanwhile, NZC is lobbying the Board of Control for Cricket in India to offer more contracts for leading New Zealand internationals who missed the first cut for the IPL.
