Bond and Maddy likely to pay same price as Amiss and Kallicharran
Feb 10 2008 By Jack Bannister
It used to be Warwickshire's Dennis Amiss, Alvin Kallicharran and Geoff Humpage — all of whom were banned some 20 years ago from international cricket for signing and playing for so-called rebel touring teams. Now it is Shane Bond, Darren Maddy, Paul Nixon, Vikram Solanki and Chris Read, although the Lord's authorities learned such a painful legal lesson nearly 30 years ago that they dare not say that the English quartet will not be selected for international cricket because of their contracts with the disapproved Indian Cricket League.
Bond has been done down disgracefully by New Zealand Cricket because he cleared everything with them before he signed for the ICL. Crucially, the Indian Premier League had not been formed four months ago and therein lies the reason for the nasty smell that pervades the International Cricket Council corridors of power.
When Bond signed with the ICL he ascertained from the New Zealand authorities that he could play in India when international duties permitted. It seems he received permisssion both verbally and in writing.
Mohammad Yousuf, of Pakistan, also signed, but tore up his contract when the Indian Premier League was later formed and the Indian power-brokers persuaded the ICC member countries to give official blessing to that Twenty20 tournament.
It was then that New Zealand Cricket back-tracked and Bond was hung out to dry to play out the remainder of his career in India and county cricket, and to be perceived back home as a traitor. Yet Yousuf is back in the Pakistan fold, despite having acted with personal expediency. And all because no country is prepared to upset India in case they lose substantial television revenues.
As for Maddy, Nixon, Solanki and Read, new England selection boss Geoff Miller refused to deny that the quartet were now so far down the pecking order as to be virtually out of sight. Have no fear, if seven England qualified wicketkeepers all broke fingers, Nixon and Read still would not be picked, despite both players, plus Maddy and Solanki, having sought guidance about their future from their counties before and during ICL negotiations five months ago.
Back to previous Warwickshire "rebels" Amiss, Kallicharran and Humpage, the first two of whom signed for Kerry Packer's World Series 31 years ago, with Amiss and Humpage subsequently joining disapproved tours of South Africa.
Because of World Series pressure for secrecy from all signings, Amiss and Kallicharran did not keep Warwickshire informed and both players paid a heavy international price. Amiss never played for his country again after peace broke out in 1980 — Alan Knott, Derek Underood and Bob Woolmer all did — while Kallicharran became the only Packer signing to withdraw from his contract before the first match was played in Australia.
Clive Lloyd and the other West Indies rebels were dropped from Test cricket and Kallicharran became captain, only to be dumped unceremoniously despite internal rumblings. "Kalli" then decided to play in South Africa and was immediately ex-communicated by the West Indies Board and fell out with fellow Guyanese Rohan Kanhai after whom Kalli's son had been named.
It was bitter stuff that divided dressing-rooms, families and friends. Then there was Bob Willis. He listened to the Packer offers but refused them when Warwickshire put together a package to help him stay in official Test cricket. He followed that five years later by apparently going most of the way towards joing the Graham Gooch-led rebel tour of South Africa in 1983 on which Amiss and Woolmer also went.
In fact, according to top sources in the 15-man rebel party when it assembled at Heathrow in March 1983, they all expected Willis to be with them but he backed out at the 11th hour. It did not enhance his dressing-room reputation at Edgbaston because he had led the most vociferous attack on Amiss five years earlier during his contracted period with Packer when he was unable to be available for England all the year round.
All sorts of upleasant dressing-room incidents took place in 1978, culminating in an extraordinary members' general meeting called at the former Locarno Ballroom in Birmingham's Hurst Street because the Warwickshire committee refused to offer Amiss a new contract despite his best season in which he scored more than 2,000 runs for the first time.
Last-minute common sense prevailed. The meeting was cancelled and, several months later, Amiss was given a new contract for 1979, and played for another nine years.
Times have changed, with clubs and national boards much more aware of legal complications if they penalise players for pursuing their careers out of season, even in disapproved cricket abroad. Yet Bond is banned and the rest who are with ICL are paying a heavy penalty for earning money in the English off season.
