NZ’s central contract announced (Photo: PTI)
New Zealand Central Contract: New Zealand has announced the annual contracts of its cricketers for 2026-27. There are some major changes in the new contract list of 20 players. The biggest thing is that after 2 years, it has seen the return of New Zealand’s powerful opener Devon Conway. Apart from Conway, Blair Tickner has also written his name in the new contract list. Kane Williamson is no longer part of this contract list as he recently retired from international cricket.
Conway and Tickner returned in new contracts
Devon Conway and Blair Tickner have replaced Adi Ashok and Muhammad Abbas in the new contract list. Devon Conway was on casual contract for the first two years. His name was not in the central list. But now he has made himself available to play in international cricket. New Zealand’s new contract list will be for 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027, in which Tickner has earned his place by performing strongly in all formats in the last few months.
Tickner has taken 4 or more wickets in 5 out of the last 8 innings of international cricket. Meanwhile, in the Test played against Ireland last month, he also took 5 wickets for the first time in international cricket.
Mitchell Hay and Jack Foulkes have reserved their places in the new contract list of New Zealand Cricket. Both these players came in the contract list for the first time only last year. The availability of these two players for New Zealand has been seen in all three formats in the recent past.
These are the 20 players who got a place in the contract list
Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Jack Foulkes, Mitch Hay, Matt Henry, Blair Tickner, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Will Young
