Flexi Contract Might Work Really Well For Boult, But It Does Open Up A Whole Can Of Worms: Hesson

Former New Zealand head coach Mike Hesson said left-arm pacer Trent Boult's casual "flexi" playing agreement with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) might work very well for him, but added that it is untidy and can open up a whole can of worms.

Since being released from his central contract last year to spend more time with family and play franchise T20 cricket around the world, Boult has featured in Australia's Big Bash League (BBL), UAE's ILT20 and played for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2023.

He is slated to play for MI New York in the inaugural season of Major League Cricket (MLC), which begins next month in the USA. Boult, who didn't feature in the central contracts list announced last week, has signed up for a casual playing agreement, something which has concerned Hesson.

"If you want the IPL and two or three or four other tournaments as well, you probably can't have everything and that's a decision you've got to make at the start of the year and I just think the flexi contracts just make it a bit untidy..."

"It just gets really untidy then you've got 20 contracts or however many are on that (NZC) list now and then you have an extra one (for Boult) and next year you might have three extra ones and it just gets untidy," Hesson was quoted as saying by Sky Sports NZ.

Boult, who last played for New Zealand during the 2022 Men's T20 World Cup in Australia, is slated to play in the ODI World Cup to be held in India later this year.

"Under the current (NZC) model it doesn't. You get ranked in three different forms and you add the points up and that's your number and everyone has known that and it's actually worked pretty well for an extended period of time."

"This flexi contract it might work really well for Trent and it might actually work well for New Zealand Cricket, but it does open up a whole can of worms," added Hesson.

Former New Zealand batter Craig McMillan, who also worked as assistant coach of the men's side, also expressed his unease about Boult's casual agreement with NZC.

"It seemed only 12 months ago Trent Boult was more than happy to make his decision to move away from international cricket and take the riches of the T20 franchises around the world and you couldn't bemoan him that."

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"He'd had a wonderful career for New Zealand and been a great servant and now almost wants a little bit of a dollar each way. It's a difficult one. I have an issue when players are coming back again and if they're trying to pick and choose when they play for New Zealand. It doesn't sit overly well with me and I'm sure it doesn't sit with some of the other players within the setup who are doing the hard yards then have to move back (when they return)."