New Zealand cricketers might be capable of competing with Australia, England and India on the field, but their playing rivals trounce them in the earnings stakes.
The Australian stoush between the governing body and their cricketers' association continues, but their international players will dwarf the Black Caps for take homepay, if or when a new deal is brokered.
However, news.com.au has revealed England's internationals are the best paid for retainers, according to the most recent analysis by the Federation of International Cricketers Associations (FICA).
Skipper Joe Root and his national colleagues, ranked fourth in both tests and ODIs, were listed as collecting an average $1.14 million, based on their retainer with the England and Wales cricket board plus match payments for tests, one-dayers and T20 internationals.
The Australians, third on the ICC test rankings and the world's second best one-day team, were close behind, with an average of $1.06m for similar output.
The likes of captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner make considerably more under Cricket Australia's tiered system which gives greater rewards to the top ranked players among the 20 contract holders.
India's players are third, but shade their opponents when it comes to making money from endorsements and the Indian Premier League.
New Zealand players' retainers were valued at between $83,000 and $205,000 last season - with match fees ranging from $8495 per test, $3682 per ODI and $2407 per T20I.
On the back of a recent $1.92 billion television deal (for 2020-24), England's best players are in for a boost and could have their ECB retainers alone push towards $1.6 million annually.
Australia's players, male and female, could be in for a $128 million collective pay rise under the next Memorandum of Understanding should the current proposal before the Australian Cricketers Association be accepted.
