Central Districts will field an import this season.
It's just that it'll be deposed captain Kieran Noema-Barnett, who's since secured himself a three-year deal with English county Gloucestershire and will now grace the Stags' line-up as an overseas player.
Noema-Barnett, 27, was replaced as CD skipper over the winter by coach Heinrich Malan, with the reason given that it would allow him to concentrate on trying to crack the New Zealand side. The only international team he's eligible for now is England, having taken advantage of being a British passport holder to sign with Gloucester as a local player.
Noema-Barnett still has to see out this season with the Stags and, if he has any thoughts about the fact Kruger van Wyk will now captain them this summer, he's keeping them to himself. But he did concede "it's not a massive coincidence" that he's looked to further his career elsewhere.
"I didn't really have anything to lose by going over there and it turns out I've gained a great deal and a bit of security and a new opportunity," Noema-Barnett said.
He had been playing club cricket in Holland when a friend helped tee up a trial at Gloucester. He had a couple of useful knocks for the county's second XI and was soon offered a contract too good to refuse.
Gloucester are coached by former Black Caps boss John Bracewell but he and Noema-Barnett hadn't met until the latter turned up to Bristol to trial. However he's not the first New Zealander Bracewell has signed to the club as a local.
Craig Spearman and Hamish Marshall, who is still on the books, gave up their Black Caps ambitions for a future with Gloucestershire. Auckland's Craig Cachopa did the same a few months ago, with Sussex.
Noema-Barnett said he would've "regretted" not taking this opportunity to find out how good he actually is. A hard-hitting left-handed batsmen, he scored the fastest 50 in New Zealand Twenty20 history (14 balls) three years ago and is also a decent medium pace bowler.
But his career since hasn't quite scaled the heights it appeared it might. Some of his better performances have come in short-form cricket, to go with first-class stats of 1533 runs at 30.05 and 57 wickets at 32.98.
"That's one of the things, you don't really know [how good you are]. I'll find out pretty quickly but I'm looking forward to playing a lot, as opposed to training a lot," Noema-Barnett said.
"It's a different mindset but they certainly have a lot of games over there. It's like anything, if you're doing it every day and in pressure situations or different environments, it's inevitable that you're going to improve."
His father Neil provides the family link to England and now the rest is up to him. A three-year deal is a fair sign of faith and Noema-Barnett is keen to repay that, which will probably mean leaving before the end of CD's season.
"I certainly owe the club a bit and I'll be looking to perform as soon as I get the opportunity to. I need to start well over there and I can't be fatigued and tired."
It seems unlikely he'll return to CD after that. The Stags have already lost Carl Cachopa and Tarun Nethula in the offseason and, until Noema-Barnett's status suddenly changed, were not going to bolster the ranks with an overseas player.