Mitchell Santner has turned down a lucrative offer from the Big Bash League. The New Zealand white-ball captain chose to remain available for his country’s upcoming series against India and Australia. Adelaide Strikers approached him with an offer to join the franchise. However, the 34-year-old decided that international commitments were more important at this stage of his career.
Santner is particularly keen to play in the India tour of New Zealand later this year. He also wants to be part of the four-Test trip to Australia. He told the New Zealand Herald that there are not many bigger series than those. He said it is an exciting time and he wants to be part of it.
Santner admitted that the BBL offer was financially attractive. He said the offer was good and he had to consider it seriously. He said the franchise knew it would have to be a good offer for him to entertain it. He also acknowledged that he may not play every Test. However, he believes he can still make an important contribution to the national side. He said he did entertain the thought of the BBL. But he came back to what New Zealand has coming up. He feels there is still a role for him.
Santner made it clear that giving up the leadership role was not something he wanted to do. He said he does not want to give up captaincy. He said if that was part of the deal, it was a no-brainer for him. He said there were chats that it could have worked. However, he said sitting without a central contract and trying to captain would not sit right at this stage.
New Zealand’s central contracts require players to be available for the Super Smash in January. The domestic competition clashes with both the BBL and South Africa’s SA20. This makes it difficult for centrally contracted players to commit to overseas leagues. A number of New Zealand players have therefore opted for casual contracts instead. That arrangement gives them greater freedom to play in overseas franchise competitions. They can still remain available for international duties.
Santner said he has no issue with teammates choosing that route. He noted that financial rewards in franchise cricket can be considerably greater than those in international cricket. He said there is no judgement with guys taking casual deals. He said New Zealand cricket will not keep up with the money for some of these other opportunities. He said he still wants to be part of New Zealand cricket and what is coming up.
Mitchell Santner Identifies Jasprit Bumrah as Key to India’s Test Series in New Zealand
India’s road to the World Test Championship final is getting tougher. Every series now carries more importance. Their task became harder after they failed to win the final Test against Sri Lanka. India will next travel to New Zealand for a two-Test series. India have not won a Test series in New Zealand for about 15 years.
Mitchell Santner spoke about the series in an interview with TOI. He is New Zealand’s premier left-arm spinner. He is currently leading Edinburgh Castle Rockers in the European T20 Premier League. Santner said India’s pace attack will play a major role in the series. He believes Jasprit Bumrah will hold the key.
Santner was asked how important it is for India to adapt to conditions. He said the first thing is to understand the conditions quickly. A few Indian players have played in New Zealand before and done well. He noted that pitches in October and November can behave differently from those in February and March. Early in the season in New Zealand, the ball might move around a bit. He said it is about getting your head around that.
Santner gave his views on India’s pace attack. He said Bumrah leading the attack and being able to nip and swing the ball will be crucial. He also mentioned Mohammed Siraj, who has performed well for a long time. He said Prasidh Krishna is bowling well. He noted that India have a lot of variety in their pace attack. He said that is what you need.
Santner was asked about Manav Suthar. He said the young spinner has been very impressive since his debut. He gets close to the stumps and gets good shape on the ball. He also bowls with good overspin when needed. Santner said that is important in New Zealand, especially when trying to get bounce on grassy pitches. He believes there is still a role for a spinner in New Zealand. He said a spinner can be useful alongside the quicks in the first or second innings. He said both Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar are very good options.
Santner also spoke about India’s recent struggles in Test cricket. He said it has always been a challenge. India always plays the best teams. Adapting to conditions quickly is the main thing. He said India has all bases covered.
FAQs
Q. Which BBL team approached Mitchell Santner?
A. Adelaide Strikers approached him with an offer.
Q. Why did Mitchell Santner reject the BBL offer?
A. Santner wanted to remain available for New Zealand.
Q. Which player did Santner identify as key for India?
A. Santner identified Jasprit Bumrah as key.
Q. What did Santner say about Manav Suthar?
A. Santner said Suthar has been very impressive.
Q. Why does Santner value the upcoming India and Australia series?
A. Santner believes they are among the biggest series coming up.
Get BBL 15 Live Score, Team Updates, along with the Latest Player News at IceCric.News and Follow for Live Updates – Facebook and Instagram.
