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Wellington, August 15 (HS). Devon Conway and Finn Allen have become the latest New Zealand players to turn down a central contract, but Conway has signed an informal agreement similar to Kane Williamson and has declared himself available for all international matches except the limited-overs matches against Sri Lanka in January, after which he will sign a SA20 contract.
Allen, who is a fine white-ball opener, will pursue franchise opportunities and has not been offered a similar contract by New Zealand Cricket (NZC), although he is eligible for selection on a case-by-case basis. Both Conway and Allen were included in the contract list last month and will now be replaced.
Conway, who has been selected in the Test squads against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka next month, is available for all nine of New Zealand's upcoming Tests and has also committed to practice matches ahead of the Champions Trophy in February, including an ODI tri-series in Pakistan.
Conway said in a statement, “Firstly, I would like to thank New Zealand Cricket for their support throughout this process. The decision to step away from a central playing contract is not one I have taken lightly, but I believe it is the best one for me and my family at this time. Playing for the Blackcaps is still the pinnacle for me and I am extremely passionate about representing New Zealand and winning games of international cricket.”
“I am excited to be part of the upcoming Test squads for a crucial period in the ICC World Test Championship cycle and look forward to joining the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan next February if selected,” he added.
NZC chief executive Scott Wennink reiterated that casual contracts are only an option for a select few key players, but believes it is a prudent way to manage the emerging landscape of franchise cricket.
He added, “We are delighted with Devon’s decision to commit to the Blackcaps – he is a fine player who has made strong contributions to the team over the last few years. It is important to have flexibility in our system to deal with some of the challenges presented by franchise cricket in the current environment – and this is another example of how we are working hard to retain our best players.”
Conway and Allen, along with Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne have walked away from central contracts, although Williamson, who will also play SA20 in January, has not ruled out taking up a contract in the future.
Under the NZC system, players must make themselves available for domestic Super Smash tournaments when not playing international cricket to be eligible for a central contract.