Cricket: Best Black Caps will be available for all internationals

Jesse Ryder. Photo / NZ Herald.

It's a tight squeeze, but New Zealand's best cricketers will be available for all international matches on their tour of England next year.

The leading players hoping to be involved in the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League have a five-week window in which they can play in the T20 competition.

The IPL is due to start on April 3 next year. A five-week commitment would have them on the subcontinent until about May 8.

New Zealand's tour of England starts with two first-class games from May 4, and the first test at Lord's beginning on May 16.

That would give the players time to be in England and have a few days' preparation for the test series.

The five-week window was agreed between New Zealand Cricket and the national players' association two years ago as part of their eight-year contract.

"Our understanding is that, absolute worst-case scenario, our players in the IPL would miss the warmup games but not miss any internationals," NZC chief executive David White said last night. "We totally support the players having the five weeks in the IPL."

Four years ago, five New Zealand players were given dispensation to arrive late for that year's England trip.

New Zealand players' collective form in the IPL, which ended last Monday, was uniformly average, but several will probably have deals with franchises for next year.

The West Indies team which have lost the first two of their three tests in England are severely depleted with players missing through the IPL.

"Talking to people from the West Indies, we are very lucky that we can accommodate our players, let them play in the IPL so they don't have to make a choice over country versus other competitions," White said.

"It's fantastic they can supplement their NZC incomes and make a good living and don't have to choose.

"While there's a degree of compromise here and there, I think we've got a very good situation."

The five-week run would mean players leaving India for the latter stages of the IPL next year.