Well, at least that is one way to interpret the news Otago has signed West Indies opening bowler Jason Holder for Saturday night's twenty20 final in Hamilton.
The 22-year-old has played in 15 one-day matches for the West Indies and his cirriculum vitae includes appearances for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League and recent Champions League.
In 35 twenty20 matches, he has taken 29 wickets at an economy rate of 7.33. It is a useful record and he will add some potency to an Otago seam attack shorn of Jimmy Neesham (national duty) and Ian Butler (injury).
That is the upside. The downside is someone will miss out and that someone will almost certainly be all-rounder Sam Wells.
While Wells is not a vital cog in the Otago twenty20 side, he has been available for the entire campaign. He has rolled up his sleeves and trained just as hard as everyone else to earn his game time. Anyone who has played team sport will be able to empathise with how he must be feeling. Perhaps it is the brutal reality of professional sport but it is also very unusual to be able to bring in an overseas player for the final when he has played no previous part in the tournament.
Otago brought in former Australian international Brett Lee for a one-off game last summer but that was for a round-robin game. Volts coach Vaughn Johnson defended the decision to bring Holder into the squad.
''It is just mirroring what we did with Brett Lee last year, really,'' Johnson said.
''If we are lucky enough to get through to the Champions League again then it gives us another option of another player that we could take.
''I can tell you Canterbury and Northern Districts right now are actively trying to find two pros.''
The scramble to draft overseas players comes about because the HRV Cup and the lucrative Champions League operate under different playing conditions.
Teams are allowed to field just the two imports in the HRV Cup but the Champions League rules allow for up to four overseas players. The catch is they must have played a part in the team's qualifying campaign. By signing Holder, Otago will have qualified two imports.
South African-born Ryan ten Doeschate is the Volts other import. He is in his second season with the team and has contributed greatly to the team's success and culture. He has earned his spot in the starting XI and the respect of his team-mates at training and in the heat of battle.
Telling the unlucky players they had missed out and Holder was taking one of the spots must have been tough for Johnson.
''I have to talk to four guys today and tell them they've missed out,'' he said.
''That will be disappointing for all four guys but what we've got to understand is sometimes a family will turn up altogether, and at other times some of the family will be left behind. But those players who are left behind are as big a part of this side as whoever goes up north.''
Holder will join the Otago squad tomorrow.
