I talked to his manager in Queenstown, I asked him if he had any interest in playing Test cricket...it was obvious he didn't. And that's OK, I don't expect that every player will. Some people would have to adapt too much, and prejudice their shorter form game. But if his dream was to play for NZ, he hasn't chased that dream very hard...and he's given up on it really quick.He ultimately seems to realise he can't have that at this stage. One thing I wish they had asked was when he said his dream growing up was to play for the Black Caps did that include test cricket? That has generally been seen as the pinacle. Allen has a century against England in red ball cricket for a NZ XI. At what point did he decide to just focus on T20? Does he think other players no longer see test cricket as the main goal with all the T20 money on offer?
It's delusional in the grandest sense to think you can become the best you can be by being in franchise cricket. That's rubbish. OK, participation in the IPL against the world's best would help, but he's been a part of IPL teams and never played, NZ players generally don't make XIs...and there's limited technical coaching in those set ups, and certainly around the world, you just play games - you don't have time to get better. Now he's not contracted, he has no connection to facilities, coaches etc - he will have to seek people who want to work with him.
The one I find the most delusional is 'I wanted to show I was fully committed to New Zealand' when discussing a casual contract. That's just laughable.