{
  "id": 6399000,
  "title": "Santner rejects BBL deal to focus on New Zealand schedule",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/santner-rejects-bbl-deal-to-focus-on-new-zealand-schedule-6399000",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-09T07:15:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Recorder",
    "slug": "business-recorder",
    "url": "https://www.brecorder.com/news/40438643/santner-rejects-bbl-deal-to-focus-on-new-zealand-schedule"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner has declined a lucrative offer from the Big Bash League to concentrate on his international commitments. \"The offer was good, I’m not going to lie,\" the 34-year-old told the New Zealand Herald. \"They knew it would have to be a good offer for me to entertain it with contracting and what would come up.\" Despite the attractive proposal, Santner believes his upcoming New Zealand fixtures, including tests against India and a tour of Australia, give him a role to play. He also considered the impact on his leadership of New Zealand's white-ball teams, stating, \"I don’t want to give up captaincy. If that was part of the deal, it was a no-brainer for me.\" However, Santner ultimately decided against the BBL offer, preferring to remain committed to his international duties and upcoming World Cups. He added, \"There are talks that it could have worked. But for me, sitting without a central contract and trying to captain, I don’t know if that would sit right at this stage.\" Other players, such as Devon Conway and Lockie Ferguson, have chosen casual contracts with New Zealand Cricket, enabling them to participate in domestic leagues while staying available for international competitions. Santner acknowledged the appeal of these casual deals, but emphasized the importance of keeping players invested in New Zealand cricket.",
  "summary": "New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner said he turned down a lucrative offer from the Big Bash League to focus on the international schedule. “The offer was good, I’m not going to lie,” the 34-year-old told the New Zealand Herald. “They knew it would have to be a good offer for me to entertain it with contracting and what would come up. “I did entertain the thought of it, but coming back to…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Santner rejects BBL deal to focus on New Zealand schedule",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/santner-rejects-bbl-deal-to-focus-on-new-zealand-schedule",
        "published": "2026-09-09T05:39:36.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}