Elliott goes for max on T20 circuit
Grant Elliott toured Bangladesh twice and swore he’d never go back. Now he jokes: “Everyone’s got their price.”
The 37-year-old immortalised himself in local cricketing folklore in 2015 by hitting a six off Dale Steyn to take New Zealand into their first Cricket World Cup final.
He’s now back in “The ’ Desh” as part of a year-long franchise cricket binge, and enjoying the camaraderie that T20 leagues bring.
Elliott has vowed to maximise his earnings before his birthday in March. The decision has taken him away from his family, but he’s home to play for Wellington in the second round of their McDonald’s Super Smash campaign on December 15.
“Unfortunately that’s one of the sacrifices you make as a cricketer,” Elliott said. “But the end is near and I’m doing it for a reason. I’ll suck it up, but that is the toughest element to the game. You miss weddings, birthdays and general friendships. It’s lucky we’ve got Skype.”
Elliott stepped back from the international limelight in March after New Zealand exited the semifinals of the World T20 in India. The allrounder retired from one-day internationals but remains available for T20s. He has since worked his way through the Caribbean and Bangladesh before heading home and then on to the United Arab Emirates in February. He has signed for the Lahore Qalanders under captain Brendon McCullum in the Pakistan Super League.
At present, Elliott is based with the Chittagong Vikings. He spends his days fraternising with fellow cricketing transients like West Indians Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith, Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik and Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi.
He has played three matches but the form of Nabi and Shoaib have kept him out of the starting XI. The Vikings are second on the seventeam table.
“I’m here for close on six weeks, I’m getting a bit of cricket, I’m outdoors and I'm around world-class players.”
Elliott accepts that with so few internationals on offer between World T20s, his international career might be over.
“There’s nothing more I want to achieve as an individual, and as a team, we’ve done well over the last few years. It mightn’t seem like it, but I actually get more time with my family now. I’ve played for about four months of the year and that’s it. So there is balance.”
Elliott believes his fitness is fine and he could play for at least three more years. However, he eventually wants to make a transition to outside the cricket world. He’s hoping a startup business will come to fruition in April. Alternatively, a coaching role might be in prospect one day.
“I like observing how teams get together to create a vibe and a culture in four to six weeks [of franchise cricket]. I also feel like I’ve got a bit to offer local players.
“When you come in as an overseas player, there tends to be an immediate respect from the younger guys. You feel you can make a difference.
“I don’t feel threatened if I don’t play. It’s about giving information back and leaving a team in a better place. Cricketers are getting smarter all over the world by sharing their knowledge.”