Published: Sep 03, 2024, 12:55 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 03, 2024, 01:56 PM (IST)
For the first time, Devon Conway and Finn Allen have lost their spots on New Zealand’s central contract to promising all-rounders Nathan Smith and Josh Clarkson, who now make up the 20-man roster.
Since making his debut against Bangladesh in Dunedin at the end of the previous year, Clarkson has played three ODIs and six T20Is for the Black Caps, while Smith was Wellington’s best player during the most recent Plunket Shield season in New Zealand.
Following their rejection of the offers last month, Conway and Allen left the two positions unfilled.
Conway, who has committed to the SAT20 Joburg Super Kings, has inked a non-binding contract with NZC that will see him play in all international matches barring the white-ball matches against Sri Lanka in January.
Gary Stead, the coach of New Zealand, stated that Smith and Clarkson were deserving of their first central contracts and that they will have a significant impact on the international scene in the upcoming months.
“Nathan’s been on our radar for a while having been a significant performer in domestic cricket for some time,” Stead was quoted as saying in a New Zealand Cricket statement.
“Josh has been involved in both white ball squads over the past twelve months which shows the strides he’s made in his game,” he stated.
“Josh will provide depth and adds value given the volume of white-ball cricket on the horizon.”
At the 2016 ICC Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, Smith and Clarkson, together with other contracted players Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, and Ben Sears, represented New Zealand at the Under-19 level.
NZ CENTRAL CONTRACT 2024-25
Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.
