Mohammad Khan contract terminated

By Andrew Dunford

Wellington, 4 December 2035

The Tamil Nadu New Zealand BLACKCAPS (TNNZ) Test cricket team suffered another blow on Friday with the loss of veteran fast bowler Mohammad Khan, whose annual contract was terminated by mutual agreement with immediate effect.

TNNZ, which has been playing in the Indian Test League (ITL) since the BCCI acquired New Zealand Cricket in 2031, was forced to complete its Test match against Mumbai West Indies with just ten players after Khan tore up his contract mid-match following an apparent disagreement over fielding positions.

Mohammad Khan arrived in New Zealand from an Australian government detention centre on Nauru as a refugee in 2022 and has latterly developed into one of TNNZ’s most senior players. It is understood he received an alternative contract offer from Australian BBL franchise the Uluru Maximums during the lunch break on day two of the Test, which guaranteed him a field setting of two slips and a gully at all times. After lunch Khan was asked to bowl from the northern end by TNNZ skipper Rachin Ravindra, to a defensive field containing just a single floating slip. At this point Khan’s management team entered the field of play to negotiate with Ravindra, and when no agreement could be found the bowler left the field and did not return.

A statement attributed to Khan was later issued in which he said that while playing for TNNZ remained his only ambition in cricket, at this stage of his career a field of two slips and a gully was appropriate given his years of service to the team.

TNNZ fans took to social media in large numbers, criticising team management and praising Khan for his principled stand in moving to a team which would better value his contribution.

Khan’s exit was the second blow in as many months for TNNZ after rookie leg-spinner Colin de Grandhomme junior was earlier sacked for refusing to sing a popular Bollywood song during his rostered spell on the player microphone in the 14th Test of the current series.

Mohammad Khan is guaranteed a farewell series of ten matches for TNNZ under the so-called Guptill Clause now included in all TNNZ contracts. It is understood this series will go ahead next January despite Khan being unavailable owing to commitments with his new team.

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