'I'm not sure what that will look like in 12 months'- Gary Stead dismayed over New Zealand players refusing central contract

New Zealand's woeful record in the knockout stages of the ICC tournaments was prolonged after the defeat to Pakistan in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup in Australia. While the damaging loss puts a major doubt on the team's performance in big games, New Zealand head coach Gary Stead shed light on the difficulties of combating T20 franchise cricket in the near future.

The Kiwis were dealt a significant blow earlier this year when star pacer Trent Boult declined a central contract by the board in favor of playing domestic T20 leagues. Hard-hitting all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme followed in his footsteps announcing his international retirement after accepting a BBL contract. James Neesham became the latest Kiwi player to opt-out of a central contract to ply his trade in franchise cricket.

"I think New Zealand are a country that have been challenged a little with the likes of Trent and Colin de Grandhomme, and the decisions they've made. So I think in the next 12 months we will continue to be challenged with our thinking around that, and what that looks like. I don't necessarily have an answer for you now because I'm not sure what that will look like in 12 months' time," Gary Stead said to reporters in Sydney.

The New Zealand cricket team will be shorthanded by the absence of some of their key players when they tour Pakistan in January next year as several Kiwi players will be participating in the domestic leagues running concurrently at that time. But the Kiwi head coach was delighted with the fact that his team and players were finally getting the recognition they deserve, given their demands in the global leagues.

"I think it is a bigger challenge [than the IPL] - no doubt about it. I'm sure we have a number of players that are attractive to some of the leagues as well. That says something about their caliber as players and the way we play as a team. So there's no doubt a lot of thinking and a lot of talking needs to go through that area," he added.