20 players got place in central contract, 2 veterans were left out | News India

The New Zealand Cricket Board (NZC) has announced its central contract list for the 2024-25 season, which includes 20 players. The special thing about this list is that all-rounders Nathan Smith and Josh Clarkson have been included in it for the first time. This pair will replace Devon Conway and Finn Allen. Apart from this, Kane Williamson and Trent Boult have been excluded from this contract.

Why did Smith and Clarkson get a chance?

The inclusion of Nathan Smith and Josh Clarkson has taken the total number of players in New Zealand's central contract list to 20 this time. Notably, Devon Conway and Finn Allen turned down their contracts last month, leaving both positions vacant. The performance of these two new players has earned them a place in this special list.

“Both Smith and Clarkson have secured their first central contracts and we expect both players to make a big impact at the international level in the coming months,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said.

Smith and Clarkson won over the board with their performance

Nathan Smith and Josh Clarkson have got this opportunity on the basis of their excellent performance in domestic cricket. Smith performed brilliantly for Wellington in the recent Plunket Shield season. Meanwhile, Josh Clarkson has played nine international white-ball matches for New Zealand last year, including three ODIs and six T20s. He made his international debut against Bangladesh in Dunedin late last year, where he proved his talent.

These players refused to accept the contract

Let us tell you that due to playing franchise cricket, star openers Finn Allen and Devon Conway had already refused to take the central contract. While Trent Boult has already made it clear that he does not want to join the central contract. Apart from this, Kane Williamson also kept himself away from it, because he could not play consistently for the country.

Full List of New Zealand Central Contracts 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.