By Sean Martin For BBC Sport in New Zealand

The arrival of Paul Collingwood and the England one-day squad barely raised a ripple on the New Zealand media landscape.

Bond has turned his back on New Zealand to play in India

It's not that they aren't a major draw card - they are - there was just a far more pressing topic furrowing the brows of New Zealand sport journalists.

On the same day Collingwood and his travel weary side traipsed through Christchurch International Airport, it was confirmed that Shane Bond would not play for New Zealand again.

The spearhead of the New Zealand attack for the last seven years, the 32-year-old Bond has opted to join the rebel Indian Cricket League to play Twenty20 cricket.

He will still play domestic cricket in New Zealand but his 95mph thunderbolts will be absent from the international arena.

Instead of giving the England batsmen the hurry-up, New Zealand's main strike weapon will be striking fear into the hearts of washed up international cricketers at the Gentle Acres retirement home in India.

But few can begrudge Bond's decision.

Bond has opted for the cricketing equivalent of a top chief executive, tired of the cut and thrust of business, stepping aside for a cushy directorship and a fat pay packet for attending a few meetings.

Bond, until his contract was terminated, was the best-paid of the 20 players on a central contract, on a retainer of around �50,000

Limited to four overs a match and an abbreviated season, Bond's injury ravaged body should cope with the load.

It was after all the five-day grind of Test cricket that saw his international career seriously abbreviated as he continually broke down with back trouble.

Bond's defection is something new for New Zealand Cricket (NZC) to deal with, something its rugby cousin has grown accustomed to.

This rugby-obsessed country has had to endure its stars fleeing its shores ever since rugby went professional, lured to Europe by bulging chequebooks.

Now Bond joins Nathan Astle, Chris Cairns, Chris Harris, Daryl Tuffey, Craig McMillan and Hamish Marshall in the ICL circus.

And it is unlikely he will be the last to join the rebel alliance despite the best endeavours of NZC and the International Cricket Council.

The reason? Money.

New Zealand international cricketers are poorly paid by world standards.

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Bond, until his contract was terminated, was the best-paid of the 20 players on a central contract with NZC, on a retainer of around NZ$128,000 (�50,000).

Lesser ranked players drop by NZ$5,000 per position until the players 17-20, who only pocket a guaranteed NZ$48,000 (�18,780).

Extra payments for Test matches (NZ$6,000), one-day internationals (NZ$1,500) and Twenty20 internationals help pad out the pay packet.

Playing in the ICL Bond will get a reported NZ$1,000,000 (�391,000) per season for the three-year duration of his contract.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that for a player blighted by injuries (and therefore missing out on the regular match payments) a guaranteed income almost eight times his current deal was too good to refuse.

That guarantee was the same reason that saw NZ middle order batsman Hamish Marshall turn his back on international cricket in favour of the surety of a county contract with Gloucestershire.

But despite the attraction of overseas offers, prospects are looking up for cricketers wanting to remain in New Zealand.

Last October, NZC penned a deal with Sony for the Indian television rights to international cricket played in New Zealand.

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That deal, worth a reported US$50m (�25.2m) over five years will help fill NZ Cricket's coffers and ultimately benefit the players, who gain a minimum 25% of revenue.

In addition, the top players can turn out for the ICC-sanctioned Indian Premier League in April without having to turn their backs on the New Zealand team.

NZ's five IPL-contracted players - Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori, Daniel Oram, Brendon McCullum and Scott Styris - will pocket between �75,000 and �175,000.

While the improved money on offer may not have been enough to keep Bond in New Zealand, at least the financial future may be a little rosier for New Zealand's emerging talent.