NZC treatment upsets fiery Bond

Published November 4, 2008

NEW DELHI, Nov 3: Fast bowler Shane Bond is upset with how he has been treated by New Zealand cricket officials and will never represent his country again, even if he gets a recall.

Bond, a genuinely quick but injury prone paceman, has been sidelined by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) since he signed a contract with Delhi Giants in the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League (ICL).

The 33-year-old former police officer said he’d harboured hopes of again playing test cricket when he originally got permission to play in the lucrative ICL Twenty20 competition.

But then his New Zealand contract was terminated when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) set up its own Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 competition and insisted that any player involved in the rebel league be banned by their national boards.

“I’m disappointed with the way my country’s cricket board treated me,” he was quoted as telling the Press Trust of India on Monday. “I don’t want to represent New Zealand in Test matches or One-day Internationals any more.

“Despite clearing me for the tournament earlier, the cricket board later changed their mind and stepped back from their stand. I am quite disappointed with that.”

Bond played the last of his 17 Tests in 2007 against South Africa. In a career curtailed by back and foot injuries, he took 79 wickets at 22.39.

He was the quickest New Zealander to reach 50 wickets in limited-overs internationals and had 125 wickets from 67 ODIS including a stunning 6-22 against eventual champions Australia at the 2003 World Cup.

Bond further said that NZC was the loser after turning its back on players who had joined the ICL, which offered them financial security.

“I still enjoy playing cricket. I’m having a great time with the game, which has given me career and financial security,” Bond stated.—AP

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