Mitchell Santner Rejects BBL Opportunity Ahead of India, Australia Assignments
WELLINGTON: New Zealand white-ball captain Mitchell Santner has turned down a lucrative offer from the Big Bash League (BBL), choosing instead to remain available for the Black Caps during a busy international season.
Santner, 34, was approached by the Adelaide Strikers but decided that New Zealand’s upcoming international commitments were more important than taking up a franchise opportunity in Australia. He said the offer was attractive but ultimately did not outweigh his desire to contribute to the national team.
“The offer was good, I’m not going to lie,” Santner told the New Zealand Herald, according to Reuters. He said he had considered the proposal but felt there was still an important role for him in New Zealand’s Test and white-ball plans, even if he does not feature in every Test.
New Zealand are scheduled to host India in a series involving both white-ball and Test cricket before travelling to Australia for a Test tour later this year. Santner said the significance of those assignments made it difficult for him to commit to the BBL.
“When you look ahead to the summer we’ve got, India here for white ball and Tests and Australia away – there’s not many bigger than that – it’s quite an exciting time. I’d like to still be part of that,” he said.
Santner also considered the implications of joining an Australian franchise while continuing as captain of New Zealand’s white-ball teams. He indicated that giving up the captaincy would have been a decisive factor in rejecting the deal.
“I don’t want to give up captaincy,” he said, adding that balancing a franchise contract with leading New Zealand while being without a central contract did not feel right at this stage.
His decision comes as several New Zealand players have opted for casual contracts, allowing them to participate in lucrative overseas leagues while remaining eligible for national selection. Mark Chapman recently moved to a casual contract to pursue a BBL opportunity, joining players such as Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne and Tim Seifert in using the arrangement.
Santner, however, remains focused on New Zealand’s international programme and also has an eye on the country’s future T20 campaigns, including the next T20 World Cup and the tournament to be hosted in New Zealand in 2028.
