Cricket: Welcome to the IPL, where sixes mean six-figure sums

Brendon McCullum might well be looking pleased with his sixes (DLF maximums in commentator-speak) in the current Indian Premier League. Each time the ball clears the rope, he is earning the equivalent of about $25,000.

Cricketers are not paid per six, per run or per wicket - but the statistics coming from the current Twenty20 series in India reveal just how lucrative the gig is for New Zealand's representatives.

If you contrast our cricketers' IPL pay packets with runs scored and/or balls bowled, it reveals a bonanza where the thwack of willow on leather is replaced by the ka-ching of the cash register.

The results are skewed because of the Kiwis' lack of availability due to the Australian test series (Shane Bond aside) - but still make every effort worth plenty.

In addition to McCullum's work with the bat, Ross Taylor is scampering for a grand every time he takes a quick single. If you've seen Bond wiping his brow when he gets a wicket, it could be because the toil has been worth it for $75,000. Even Daniel Vettori's dot balls are netting $2700 each.

Compare that to the match payment of $14,650 Vettori, Taylor and McCullum earned contracting to New Zealand Cricket for the most recent test series against Australia. Vettori laboured for a measly $23 bucks a ball, less than one per cent of what he's earning when he rolls the arm over for the Daredevils.

The buzz wouldn't quite be the same for McCullum hitting sixes at $477 a pop, while Taylor hauled in just $71 each time he slid in his bat. Bond also had it relatively tough when he finished his test career against Pakistan in Dunedin with match figures of eight for 153 or $916 per wicket.

Admittedly these figures are in addition to the players' retainers. Presuming they are the top four ranked New Zealand players, these range from $156,000 to $174,000.

While there might be honour in playing test cricket, it reinforces the value in being a soldier of fortune.

However, there is another reality at play here - prospects for the players' IPL futures look reduced, at least on the sort of salaries at the original auction.

It is partly due to availability but no New Zealand player features in the top 20 of any meaningful list assessing tournament performance, be it an individual game or in the overall tournament.

If the Kiwis haven't shone in IPL cricket, it raises a question about their confidence in the Twenty20 World Cup. While their Black Caps team-mates have had a break - in some cases at least a month - Vettori, Bond, Taylor and McCullum risk getting jaded, part of how the IPL can be counter-productive when squeezed into the international calendar.