Mathew Sinclair is on the "Dole Queue" seeking unemployment benefits

[carnish]

Mathew Sinclair, the Central Districts batsman who played 33 Tests for New Zealand, has announced his retirement from all cricket. Sinclair, 37, has been a fixture in the Central Districts side for 18 seasons and is the team's all-time highest run-scorer, with more than 15,000 runs across all formats, and he remained a solid performer last summer, with 646 Plunket Shield runs at 40.37. He burst on to the Test cricket scene with 214 on debut against West Indies in Wellington in 1999-2000, still the highest score by a New Zealand Test debutant and the equal third-highest from all countries. However, despite posting another Test double-century against Pakistan less than two years later, Sinclair struggled to find consistency at international level. His 33 Tests were spread across 11 years and his last appearance for his country came against Australia in Hamilton in early 2010, when he was recalled for the first time in two years. Sinclair also played 54 one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals, as well as helping Central Districts win eight domestic trophies. "Having taken a few months since the end of last season to consider my options I have decided that the timing is right to call time on my playing career," Sinclair said. "I have two young children and a wife who I want to spend more time with and the constant travel that the Stags endure each year makes that pretty tough. "I am also at the stage where I want to get into a career outside of cricket and unless you are in a position to totally devote yourself, it's difficult to get the opportunities that I am after. There are some really talented younger batsmen coming through for CD, so I feel it's the right time from the team's perspective as well. "Central Districts has been good to me and I never really considered playing for anyone else. We have always played a positive style of game, and the quality of the people in the side meant that there was always a great team spirit. My first hundred for the Stags was really special as it helped win a game and proved that I could succeed at that level. "Watching Peter Ingram beat my record for the highest individual score for the Stags, Jamie How's double hundred in a one day game and Michael Mason's heroics with the bat to win the Ford Trophy two seasons ago are special moments that I will also cherish. "While it would have been nice to have played more for my country, I do look back on my time in the Black Caps with a lot of pride and satisfaction. Getting 214 on debut against the West Indies was a real highlight; especially as we went on to win the Test." Sinclair will end his career with more first-class runs for a single association - 9148 - than any other player in New Zealand, as well as a record 27 first-class centuries for Central Districts. On four occasions he was the leading run scorer in the New Zealand first-class competition, in 1998-99, 2005-06, 2008-09 and 2011-12. "It's hard to put into words the contribution that Mathew has made to Central Districts," Hugh Henderson, the Central Districts chief executive, said. "In years to come his run scoring records will still stand and people will look back at him as an all-time great of the domestic game in this country. "It is remarkable that in a career of such length that Mathew never really had a poor season, he just kept scoring runs. It's unlikely there will be another player like him in our history. On behalf of Central Districts we would like to thank him wholeheartedly for his contribution to the game and our association. We wish him all the best in the next stages of his career outside of cricket."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/newzealand/content/current/story/652001.html A great Domestic Basher who could never make it to International Level for Long. Kiwi Jaffer. Have a nice post-retirement Life Dude.

[Crookbond]

He took one of the best outfield catches I have ever seen/ RVxcXcKLk1Q

[Ultimate_Game]

Mathew Sinclair is on the "Dole Queue" seeking unemployment benefits I was shocked to find out that Matew Sinclair, a former NZ intl batsman who played 33 Tests, 54 odis and 2 T20s for NZ, is seeking unemployment benefits :omg: It's quite sad, and in fact depressing, to learn that a guy who played 19 years of FC cricket and had a decent run with the intl team needs to seek unemployment benefits. We hear about former NFL or soccer stars going bankrupt but in that case the players self implode with lavish lifestyle and drug abuse one of the main reason. In Sinclair's case this wasn't true and he was playing FC cricket this year. The fact he wasn't even able to make enough money from cricket to support his family despite playing 19 years at FC and intl level is worrying and shows why cricket may not expand that much and in fact will be limited prominently to sub-continent, Eng and Aus. Here's the an excerpt from the article...

Former New Zealand test cricketer Mathew Sinclair has walked away from top-level cricket and is seeking the unemployment benefit. Sinclair - who scored two Test double-centuries for New Zealand - said the decision had to be made some time as he couldn't support wife Tina, son Liam, 4, and daughter Holly, 3, on six months of cricket pay a year. This week "Skippy" Sinclair walked into Work and Income in Napier to sign up for the unemployment benefit. "The reality is, this is what it's like," he said. "It has been quite a tough decision to make."

Link... http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/8929053/Former-Black-Cap-on-dole-queue

[vvvslaxman]

Chatfield became a cab driver.

[Ultimate_Game]

Chatfield became a cab driver.

Didn't know that but as a cricket fan I do feel sad that a prominent cricketer from any nation has to struggle to make ends meet. I guess we do need a professional cricketer's association to look out after their best interests. Indian, English and to an extent Aussies cricketers will be fine but what about the rest? You can't expand a sport when top professional players in that sport are struggling to support their families.

[bulbul]

I don't know why people are wondering. Except in India,England,OZ I doubt rest of the people who play mostly in FC cricket make much money. Once read Pakistan T20 league pays 3/4000 per match. After seeing IPL we all think cricket is very rich game , its only in India and certain extent England & OZ , rest all are struggling.

[Crookbond]

Here's a nice read on Ewen Chatfield. He almost got killed of a Peter Lever bouncer. Chatfield played 43 Test and 114 ODIs, btw. http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/392473.html

[Ultimate_Game]

I don't know why people are wondering. Except in India' date=England,OZ I doubt rest of the people who play mostly in FC cricket make much money. Once read Pakistan T20 league pays 3/4000 per match. After seeing IPL we all think cricket is very rich game , its only in India and certain extent England & OZ , rest all are struggling.

We knew that cricketers from other nations barring a few don't earn millions, but I never knew things were so bad that they had to drive a cab or seek unemployment benefits.

[Crookbond]

One of the reasons why a slew of NZ players were attracted to the ICL.

[Ultimate_Game]

One of the reasons why a slew of NZ players were attracted to the ICL.

Can't blame them. Anyone would prefer a T20 league over seeking unemployment benefits anyday.

[G_B_]

highly misleading. you do realize that unemployment benefits can also be taken if your in a good position financially? My neighbor sits in a house worth £350,000 (fully paid off) and is on unemployment benefit for the last few months. Does not mean he is living in poverty. NZ is a welfare state. This is why the IPL should be there and this is why ICC should host most events in India. Revenues are shared and it trickles down to first class cricket. Cricket in NZ is also a seasonal game. Most people end up doing a degree side by side along with playing cricket. It is a summer sport.

[Ram]

Hmm.. I am not privy to the specific circumstances of Sinclair’s financial situation, but common sense suggests that anyone who enjoyed such a relatively long stint in professional sport must have earned enough to be able to support his family? Maybe he was reckless with his spending habits, who knows? Don’t blame the sport (or for that matter, the state) for an individual’s situation. At the end of the day, we are all accountable to manage our own lives.

[G_B_]

Hmm.. I am not privy to the specific circumstances of Sinclair’s financial situation, but common sense suggests that anyone who enjoyed such a relatively long stint in professional sport must have earned enough to be able to support his family? Maybe he was reckless with his spending habits, who knows? Don’t blame the sport (or for that matter, the state) for an individual’s situation. At the end of the day, we are all accountable to manage our own lives.

he is just transitioning. As the article mentions, he quit cricket to make himself more marketable for full time employment. The current NZ contract is something worth $200,000 (NZ dollar) on top of big appearnace bonus. Its the one Vettori rejected. I am sure this dude held a central contact through the 90s and earl 00s. As far as Chatfield goes, that really was the pre Packer when he made his debut. Players were really badly paid. Even our ranji players had second jobs with air india etc.

[G_B_]

Agree but even so I would assume one would qualify for unemployment benefits only in cases where you do not have liquid assets and for sinclair to not have built up anything is alarming enough. We do not have his actual financial statements though and as such I understand a lot of this is conjecture and hearsay.

unemployment benefits in the UK atleast are given to people with a job. Simple. They are temporary and stop when you get a job. the key of joining the dole is that there is a job center staff which aids you in getting a job. More than the money sinclair probably wanted those people to aid him in getting a job.

[Sean Bradley]

highly misleading. you do realize that unemployment benefits can also be taken if your in a good position financially? My neighbor sits in a house worth £350,000 (fully paid off) and is on unemployment benefit for the last few months. Does not mean he is living in poverty. NZ is a welfare state. This is why the IPL should be there and this is why ICC should host most events in India. Revenues are shared and it trickles down to first class cricket. Cricket in NZ is also a seasonal game. Most people end up doing a degree side by side along with playing cricket. It is a summer sport.

Well said GB, this is exactly my point.

[G_B_]

Well said GB' date=' this is exactly my point.[/quote'] Infact i would say in places like Aus, NZ England and SA cricket being a summer game is a huge boon. Do your degree in autumn & winter . Pay for the tuition via doing a summer job playing cricket. Thats what most cricketers in these countries do. I knew a county cricketer for Hampshire who did just that who went to the same university as me. HE could not hack it and left the sport professionally at 25. But he was paid about £15,000 to play for the county in the summer and did not need to take a loan to finish his accountancy course. Last i checked or heard he was working for JP Morgan holding down a decent job. If he had been any good he would probably be paid £60,000 and still have his accountancy degree with him and be part of the counties pension plans providing him with security. Cricket does not have the same physical demands as rugby or football. It also works well with the academic year.

[G_B_]

The point is to always have plan B. Sometimes you just dont need a plan B. Ross Taylor, Brendon, Nathan McCullum , Franklin, Ryder, Vettori, Oram, or even the ICL guys made enough money from the sport. NZ central contacts range from 120-200k NZ dollar plus hefty bonus. I think they are paid about $50,000 for a NZ state side domestic contract. Plus a good pension system. NZ is probably the most efficiently run cricket board in the world. They may not have astronomical money but there is good money along with a strong welfare state in Nz which ensures that players can make a career out of it. thanks to the IPL and increasing money making habits of the ICC I do believe the average NZ cricketer earns more than the average NZ all black. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/all-blacks/news/article.cfm?c_id=116&objectid=10473895

[G_B_]

Nice insight - one would hope it trickles down to FC level and is more long term and is not restricted to central contracts.

It does. NZ cricket has a budget per year of about 40 million USD from ICC major event handouts and other income streams like broadcasting etc. There are about 300 first class cricketers in NZ. So thats quite a tidy sum for relatively low number of players. About 7 state associations. The finances of cricket will continue to increase with the GDP of India. Every time India tours Nz they get more money than ever before and that sets them up for 3-4 years.

[CG]

God bless IPL,T20 leagues.

[Clarke]

So the RISS Kiwi is gonna end up selling Biryani on the streets of Auckland pretty soon ?