For one of the few times in his career Craig McMillan did what was expected yesterday - he retired.

The man who brought us reverse sweeps, the front-on stance to spinners, loopy bouncers, scored runs when no one expected and failed miserably when they did, secured a release from his New Zealand Cricket contract on compassionate grounds.

The timing is suspicious with a contract from the rebel league in India sitting on his dining-room table, but McMillan was adamant yesterday that it was coincidence and his career had to end because of family and health reasons.

A father of two, McMillan has been on the road for a decade and by all accounts his wife, Cherie, has said “enough” to raising the family alone.

Because he is a diabetic, McMillan’s health has been a continuing battle for most of his life and there was a scare last week when he was in hospital for two days suffering from a combination of influenza and diabetes.

McMillan, 31, has been released by NZC in “good faith”, meaning it will be disappointed if he turns around and signs with the rebel league, starting next month.

McMillan hinted he will sign but hoped people would see the bigger picture. “I’m retiring for health and family reasons and I’m happy about that, especially because the last 12 months has gone pretty well for me.

“The Indian thing (rebel league) is something I’m seriously looking at but I haven’t made a decision yet.

“When I do, it might disappoint some people but it will come down to what is best for me and my family - simple as that.”

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan indicated he would not fall off his reclining office chair if McMillan became a so-called outlaw.

“First and foremost, I have no doubt his reasons for retiring are genuine” Vaughan said.

“But I’ve expressed to him I’d be disappointed if he did sign with the rebel league, because our position is we don’t agree with that league.

“The annoying thing from what we understand is the initial tournament clashes with our tour in South Africa so we’d far rather Craig was playing for us. I’ve told him that, but for his health and for his personal reasons he needs to get off this constant travel bandwagon.”

McMillan said he had wrestled with retirement for 14 months but chose to sign another year-long NZC contract in August because he could not reconcile the decision.

Now he feels content after a career than promised the world, faltered badly and then finished with a flourish during the Chappell-Hadlee series last summer and most recently at the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup.

“Ever since I was five or six years old, all I wanted to do was play cricket for New Zealand and for some reason I never had any doubt I would,” he said.

“I’ve lived my dream and like any career there have been good and bad times and I look fondly on most of it.

“The way I have played the last 12 months is good. A lot of people had written me off, so to show them I had something to offer was great.

“If I wasn’t a diabetic and didn’t have a young family, I reckon I’d play another three years but unfortunately I do have a health condition and I do have a young family who want more time from me.”

McMillan scored 3116 runs in 55 tests at 38.46, including six centuries and 19 half-centuries.

He played the last of his 197 one-day internationals in the World Cup semifinal loss to Sri Lanka. He amassed 4707 runs at 28.18, with three centuries and 28 50s.

New Zealand speedster Shane Bond is not jetting to join the rebel Indian Cricket League having committed himself to the Black Caps for the season ahead.

Speculation in recent months had centred around Bond signing for the breakaway group but Bond laid the rumours to rest yesterday in Christchurch confirming he will be sticking with the establishment.

Bond did receive a tempting offer to play in the rebel Twenty20 league which starts in India in November that he said caused him “a few sleepless nights”.

Fitness permitting, Bond is available for all of New Zealand’s upcoming season which includes tests and one-day series in South Africa, at home against Bangladesh and capped by home and away series’ against England.

It would not surprise, however, if Bond joined Black Caps team-mates Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori and Scott Styris in accepting an offer to play in the Indian Premier League, a Twenty20 competition which is approved by the International Cricket Council and will start in April. It will not conflict with ICC scheduled series.

Bond said all would be revealed within the next week or so. “It will all come out in a week or two, but there’s stuff going on behind the scenes.”

Bond said it meant he was now fully focused on the South African tour with the Black Caps leaving Christchurch tomorrow.

Bond, who has a remarkable 74 wickets from just 16 tests, is hoping for better fortune than his last series scheduled against the Proteas which never started. He suffered a knee injury after the first warm-up game two seasons ago.

Bond expects the wickets to be markedly better than when the team toured in April and May last year and the pitches were tired. “The wickets should be a lot better than last time. They were up and down because they were tired. This time they should be good.

“We are not expecting much sideways movement but they should have a bit of pace.”

Bond was under no illusions how tough the tour would be to a country where New Zealand has never won a test series.

“All the games I’ve played against South Africa have been close. If we can cut out the odd bad session we have then we are in with a chance.”

Bond is aware South Africa will be match-hardened coming off a tour of Pakistan where it recently accounted for the home side 1-0 in the test series.

“We have a couple of warm-up games which we want to play with intensity and set about winning.

“The South Africans have just come off a couple of tests so have got that intensity and we need to generate it quickly.”

South Africa’s success pushed Pakistan a position below New Zealand on the world test ladder with the Black Caps now sixth.

The Black Caps are returning to the republic less than a month after being there for the world Twenty20 tournament where they reached the semi-finals. Bond was down a little on his usual speed around 140km/h speed at the tournament which he put down to the early season timing of the event.

“It’s just a matter of getting bowling fitness. We came straight out of indoors and just had a couple of practices outdoors then were right into the matches.

“I didn’t quite have the timing right. Once you get the timing and bowling fitness, that allows you to bowl quick.

“Then you get some days where the outfield was nice and firm and other days when it was soft and that can throw your timing out as well. I’m hoping to use the two warm-up games to get up to speed.”

Bond has been frustrated by the fickle spring weather in Christchurch which has prevented him doing much bowling outdoors since returning home.

He is optimistic the back troubles which led to surgery several years ago are now behind him despite some niggles again last season which were similar to when he previously broke down.

“I still get some aches and pains, but they rescanned my back and it is really good in terms of the screws and the bolt holding the L5 vertebrae together. “With the way I’ve trained and the action I’ve got now, I’d be pretty disappointed if it goes wrong.”

New Zealand’s first-class matches will be played at altitude and Bond said that probably favoured the batsmen.

“It means a deeper burn on lungs when bowling and the ball comes faster off the bat.”

New Zealand fast bowler Daryl Tuffey has been linked to the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and reports said on Monday that he is ready to sign on the dotted line in lieu of a lucritive offer.

The ICL is expected to start next in November and Tuffey hoped that his ICL links will not stop him from playing first-class cricket for Auckland later this season.

“I’m leaning towards [signing]. It’s the money and a bit of security,” Tuffey told the Dominion Post.

“Nothing’s guaranteed with New Zealand Cricket, even the money you get playing domestic cricket back home. You’ve got to start looking after No. 1 at some point,” Tuffey added.

The 29-year-old isn’t contracted by New Zealand Cricket and last week he also turned down a provincial deal with Auckland.

The Indian Cricket League (ICL) on Friday send a legal notice to Pakistan’s prolific batsman, Mohammad Yousuf, for breach of contract following his decision to pull out of its high-profile tournament.

Yousuf had initially signed the contract to play in the ICL’s proposed Twenty20 cricket tournament in November, but changed his mind and aligned with the Indian Premier League, the cash-rich venture launched by the BCCI.

The Pakistani middle-order batsman changed his decision after a recent meeting with the Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman, Dr Nasim Ashraf, who had also assured Yousuf that the PCB would take care of the legal hassles that may arise for not honouring the ICL commitment.

Yousuf’s decision not to align with the ICL, which has not been recognised by the ICC or its affiliated members, also made him eligible to play for Pakistan again.

“We tried our best to reach out to Yousuf and seek certain clarifications about the statements he had made at a press conference. He did not respond to three reminders, forcing us to send a legal notice for breach of contract,” Executive vice-president of Essel Group, Ashish Kaul, said.

Kaul said that the ICL’s contract did not stop any player from representing his country and Yousuf could have sorted out the issue.

“There is no clause in our contract which stops the player from playing for his country. If there was a clash of dates for Yousuf, the ICL could have worked that out”, Kaul said.

Having lost five of its players to the cash-rich Indian Cricket League, the Assam Cricket Association is keen to bring back the old guard. And what better way to start than by wooing back one of its best performers in previous years, Parag Das.

Stung by the ACA’s treatment, the former skipper had called it quits from first class cricket in May this year. However, Das has now made himself available for selection.

A senior Assam Cricket Association official told The Telegraph this afternoon that Das had a change of mind after he was persuaded by members who have been entrusted the task of fielding the best possible team for the season. They seem to have impressed upon him that he still has a couple of years left in him. But some critical issues remain to be resolved before a formal announcement is made.

“He was approached during the SP Barooah Trophy to reconsider his decision. He said in a letter delivered this week that he was available for selection since the personal problem for which he had quit had been resolved. It is now up to the selectors and the ACA top brass to take a call now,” the office-bearer said.

Das, who could not be contacted, retired before the announcement of the probables, citing a personal problem.

Sources in the association said the attempts were made even before the ICL-triggered crisis.

“If included, Das will add value to the team in the capacity of an experienced all-rounder. He gives us more options,” the ACA functionary said.

Das is considered to be among one of the best players of his generation to represent Assam and the east zone.

“But, sadly Das has not done justice to his immense talent. This is a good opportunity for him to set the record straight. He is not exactly out of cricket. He has to keep himself fit for inter-railway meets,” the official said on being asked whether Das was fit to return.