Henderson still pinching himself after pay-day

Few players better exemplify cricket's changing landscape than Tyron Henderson. A journeyman allrounder - Middlesex represents his seventh club across two countries - Henderson found success late in his career in the 20-over format. The result? A $650,000 contract with the defending IPL champions, the Rajasthan Royals, at the age of 34.

Henderson can scarcely believe the course of events that culminated in him receiving the fourth highest contract of the 2009 IPL auction behind Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff and JP Duminy. When he first took the field for Border in 1998, Twenty20 cricket had yet to be conceived. And since his one and only international for South Africa - a 20-over match against India in which he was run out for a second-ball duck, and conceded 0 for 31 from his four overs - Henderson has found his niche at an age when many cricketers have opted for the pipe and slippers.

"When I started ten years ago I couldn't have dreamed of anything like this happening," Henderson told Cricinfo. "It's like, 'Wow, how did this happen?' [The IPL contract] did come as a bit of a shock at the time, but it has all settled in now. If you look at my stats in Twenty20 they aren't too bad, and there were obviously some teams out there who thought I could do a job for them. I'm confident I can do that and I'm looking forward to the challenge."

Henderson underlined his all-round potency during Middlesex's charge to the Twenty20 title last season. His 21 wickets at 16.61 and 281 runs at 40.14 were vital to the county's cause, and his thumping innings of 77 from 41 deliveries in Middlesex's Pro Arch Trophy victory over Yorkshire last month suggested that, at 34, Henderson's skills are not in decline.

"The Twenty20 format suits me down to the ground," he said. "You have four overs to bowl, and they're usually in powerplays or at the death, so they're always interesting. And I'm happy to bat up or down the order, and like to get on with it once I'm in.

"I'm a Kolpak player now, and for me it was a bit of a no-brainer. I didn't get much of an opportunity in the South African side. I played one Twenty20 international against India, and to be honest, I was surprised when I got the call-up. I wasn't in the best nick at the time, and I didn't really do much. I've had a good couple of years since at domestic level."

IPL franchises concur. One of the lesser credentialed players at the 2009 auction, Henderson sold for $550,000 above his reserve price at a time when most teams were hunting for bargains.

"I tried to follow [the auction] online," he said. "I was on my laptop and my wife was on another ... [and] then I got a call from someone over there saying that Rajasthan had paid $650,000. It was a pretty amazing day."

Rajasthan's purchase seemed all the thriftier when the IPL announced that, due to security concerns in India, it would shift its 2009 operations to England or South Africa. Henderson, who has lived and played in both countries, believes his knowledge of South African conditions will benefit his franchise.

"It does give me more confidence," he said. "I know all the grounds pretty well and have played on them all on numerous occasions. We have Graeme Smith and Morne Morkel in our team, so I'm sure we'll be able to provide a few insights into the local conditions along the way. They will probably tap our knowledge a little bit closer to the tournament. At the moment they've got so many logistical issues to sort out and I don't think local pitch conditions are a big concern for them at the moment."