Mark Richardson: Tough luck on Tuffey

The New Zealand Cricket (NZC) list of players to receive contracts reflects the predominance of limited overs fixtures on the card and the efforts of Mathew Sinclair and Ross Taylor. However, while conservative in nature with no real bolters, it was still a list that required the axing of Craig McMillan and reinstatement of Sinclair to ensure public acceptance.

McMillan was one of the players whose place was most in the balance.

Bracewell sees him still very much in the 50-over frame and he has experience and leadership skills - which could be useful in a World Cup year. But he is far from the people's player and his inconsistent results and aloof demeanour with the media has turned many against him.

Actually, the original 'people's player', Chris Harris, got the chop too. It was another decision that was bound to happen given every emperor goes past their use by date at some stage. The dumping of these two players signals a changing of the guard in the Black Cap middle order as Ross Taylor and Peter Fulton take up positions of favouritism and you would have to say fair enough.

Possibly not fair enough was the dumping of Daryl Tuffey which, I believe, was harsh. It was not long ago he was the premier seam bowler and, at times, worthy of world-class rating. The yips he suffered at the hands of Adam Gilchrist would have been temporary had he got back on his feet quickly - something two missed injury diagnoses by NZC did not allow.

It was also emphasised that this is a list of 20 players to receive NZC contracts, not a pool of players from which NZC is required to select. The amount of non-contracted players that played last year and the ever- increasing level of test and one-day international specialisation that exists nowadays means that not being contracted does not necessarily mean non-selection.

Sinclair has a chance to thumb his nose at the selectors. He feels harshly treated but, in reality, he didn't perform and they dropped him, he performed and they picked him - that is professional sport. He will likely be on one of the bottom retainers ($45,000) and a contract in South Africa or England would be more lucrative, if such offers were forthcoming, than a low retainer and only two or three test matches next season.

Offering a contract to Andre Adams makes sense given it is a heavy one-day schedule. It also gives NZC some control over his involvement with Essex.

I imagine Adams' county contract has taken priority over the past year and he has performed better in England than in Auckland. He is now back under Bracewell's wing.