Sherfane Rutherford has weighed in on a subject often whispered about but rarely addressed publicly in franchise cricket: relationships between players and team owners. The outburst follows an event from the last CPL season that led to his removal from the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots team after the player yelled at the team owner. During an interview on the sideline of the ILT20 in Dubai where he has been playing for the Desert Vipers, Rutherford spoke against his heart and most, if not all players, to support a promoters-players relationship that is reciprocal in nature.
They also would like the player to pay respect because, after all, it is his career and this is what he is supposed to do. That is why I do not believe I consciously do not want to perform,” Rutherford said to Cricbuzz on Friday (January 10).
The Incident That Sparked the Debate
The controversy Rutherford referred to began during the CPL season, with a dramatic fallout involving the team’s owner—an Indian-origin businessman—who blamed Rutherford for a loss against Barbados. According to Cricbuzz’s earlier report on October 4, the owner sent Rutherford a message shortly after the game, accusing him of costing the team the match. Rutherford, dismissed for a duck that day, was not in the mood for such criticism.
“The owner didn’t play any cricket,” Rutherford remarked, not mincing words. “So obviously if you never play the sport, you would not understand the top days, the good days, and the bad days—they are always there in cricket. So it’s just emotions. I think he just got off of emotions. As adults, we need to control that because at the end of the day, our decisions can take us farther. So I think it was him wrongdoing.”
After Rutherford responded to the owner’s message, explaining the inappropriateness of such criticism immediately after a game, the situation escalated. Much like navigating tricky strategies—akin to those seen in 1xbet aviator tricks—the misjudgment spiraled quickly. The exchange resulted in Rutherford being asked to leave the team.
“After a game against Barbados (which) we lost, the owner texted me about making the team lose. He said I caused them to lose the game. I responded in a way. That is not a good time to message a player. We are professionals; we have feelings. So obviously when you’re not doing well, you just want to reflect. So, when he texted me at the wrong time, I responded to him. That was where they decided for me to leave.”
A Common Issue in Franchise Cricket
The incident may have been personal, but Rutherford’s experience highlights a broader issue in the franchise cricket ecosystem: the overreach of team owners. While owners are known to intervene in cricketing matters, Rutherford believes this dynamic needs reform.
“I don’t think the owners should text players, especially about performance, because at the end of the day we didn’t go there to fail. We know that in cricket you’re not guaranteed anything. The most we can do is prepare well, and I think I have been doing that for a while now,” he explained.
For Rutherford, this boils down to respecting the professional boundaries between players and owners. He suggested that communication regarding performance is best left to the coaching staff rather than the financial backers of the team.
Moving On—With Lessons Learned
Despite the turmoil, Rutherford seems ready to move forward. Though his departure from the Patriots was abrupt, it has given him valuable insights into how he wishes to handle professional relationships in the future.
“I don’t know which franchise I will go back to, but I’m looking forward to a new adventure. I have told my agent about it. I told him I’m not comfortable with him texting me about any game because at the end of the day, I’m dealing with the coach and the staff,” he said. “On and off, it’s okay. It’s a part of life. It was good learning.”
When he donning the Desert Vipers’ jersey in the ILT20, though, Rutherford is looking ahead. The lesson? Like every other sport, cricket consists of its ups and downs, in this case not only for the players on the ground. In Rutherford’s case, the next obvious step in his evolution – as player and as a man in the cold, hard world of franchise cricket – is to make certain that one’s space and his prima facie right to be left alone is inviolable.