“We are still looking at a solution. Getting Shane an IPL contract is still the preferred one and we’ve put together a package that is extremely good,” Vaughan said.

The 32-year-old Bond has taken 79 wickets in 17 Tests and 125 in 67 ODIs and Vaughan said NZC was in no mood to let their premier bowler go but admitted that it would not be easy to hold back the pacer.

“We’d love to see him playing for New Zealand and that is why we have turned over so many stones, but at the moment we are on the back foot,” he confessed. “I know we haven’t seen very much of him lately, but you always hope your last injury is your last one. We’d be very sorry to lose him.”

Vaughan, however, maintained that despite the loss, NZC will not select players who are aligned with ICL. “Our preference is for the selectors not to choose those players. It is not a ban.”