Australian leg-spinner Stuart MacGill has said that he is not surprised thatnearly half of Australias national and state players would consider abandoning the chance of wearing the Baggy Green or state colours to play in the more lucrative Twenty20 tournaments.
Sydney, Apr.10 : Australian leg-spinner Stuart MacGill has said that he is not surprised thatnearly half of Australia's national and state players would consider abandoning the chance of wearing the Baggy Green or state colours to play in the more lucrative Twenty20 tournaments.
"Some of these players are only playing for money now. I don't think it's a problem - provided the guy does his job I don't care what the motivation is. I am not in that position at this stage. There are still goals I have in domestic and international cricket. But if you're just turning up to work for a pay cheque, you'd obviously consider a better offer," MacGill told The Herald.
"People have many different motivations. For some it's ego, some it's for appearances, some it's for cash, for some it's to be a pain in the arse and for some it's to get out of the house," 37-year-old MacGill said.
MacGill, however, said that he would be very disappointed to see young cricketers being tempted by large foreign contracts, warning that such a development could cripple domestic competitions.
Australia's chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, rejected the idea that players were driven by money despite the survey, commissioned by the Australian Cricketers' Association, which showed that 47 per cent of national and 49 per cent of state players would consider an early retirement.
"I'd be very surprised if someone who is knocking on the door of Australian selection would take that stance," Hilditch said.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland was hopeful that the prestige of playing international cricket would prevent players calling time on their careers to chase cash in India.
MacGill said the legacy left by success in the international and domestic arenas was more important.
"I don't sleep in my Baggy Green, but I don't want anybody to underestimate the achievement that it is to play for your state. Earning a state cap or a Baggy Green proves to the world the amount of work you put in, nobody gets given them. I value those achievements," MacGill said.
ANI