The Black Caps squad may have won over a million dollars in prize money from their performances at the T20 World Cup in Dubai, but missed out on a million more with their loss this morning.
Just by making the final of the T20 World Cup, the Black Caps wereguaranteed a purse of NZ$1.14m. Add to that another $57,000 per victory in the tournament - of which they had five - and the team has collected $1.425m to split between team members.
For three weeks work in the UAE, it promises to be a sweet reward for a team that's been on the road for much of 2021, with another three weeks in India to come.
However, as if this morning's eight-wicket defeat wasn't injury enough, the insult lies in the prize money the team missed out on: another $1.14m, which would have almost doubled the team's prize purse.
Michell Santner (left), Ish Sodhi and Tim Southee reluctantly line up to receive their consolation medals at the T20 World Cup. Photo / Getty
Consolation lies in the fact that 2021 has been a bumper year for the Black Caps after the side also reaped rich reward for its triumph in the World Test Championship final.
By beating India in the one-off test in England in June, the team shared a prize of $2.24m, meaning their total prize money in tournaments for the year is well in excess of $3m.
This means that players like Jamieson, Kane Williamson and Trent Boult, who played in both major tournament finals, as well as appearing in India's money-laden IPL, have truly made the most of a challenging sporting year during a global pandemic.
