Published: Sep 05, 2015, 05:59 AM (IST)
Edited: Sep 05, 2015, 03:45 PM (IST)
The New Zealand Cricket (NZC) board has taken the decision to do away with match-referees in First-Class matches in a bid to cut costs. The move is one of many to cut costs. The three fulltime match referees will no longer officiate in New Zealand’s domestic summer with most of their duties to be overseen by the umpires. NZC’s head of cricket Lindsay Crocker says the move has been taken with a view to eliminate operational costs in favour of ‘capital projects’. Brendon McCullum a surprise omission from All Blacks Rugby World Cup side!
“It wasn’t a cheap programme given we had to pay them, travel them round and pay for accommodation,” Crocker told stuff.co.nz. “This year we’re under pretty restrictive budgets and it was really disappointing but it was a programme we are simply unable to afford. If we had more income then we would be able to do all the programmes we wanted, it’s just the nature of running a business and trying to compete on world terms with a budget smaller than our competitors.” Brendon McCullum could become 1st cricketer in history to play 100 Tests uninterrupted
After a successful ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 which was co-hosted by New Zealand, one would have expected NZC to have had a huge financial uplift, but according to Crocker NZC will instead use the money to build a legacy. “The World Cup was a one-off, it isn’t a matter of making a nest egg and then expending it. We’ve got to be prudent about that, it gives us an opportunity to sit out any future rainy days and there is also some investment we need to do around facilities. The Cricket World Cup money and the legacy we attach from there is really around capital projects rather than operational ones,” said Crocker. Wellington’s Basin Reserve to host ODI after almost 11 years
