NZC has awarded maiden New Zealand Central contracts to all-rounders Nathan Smith and Josh Clarkson who will be replacing Devon Conway and Finn Allen who opted out of the central contract to feature in franchise cricket.
The 27-year-old Clarkson has played three ODIs and T20Is while 26-year-old Smith is yet to make his international debut.
Smith was the leading wicket-taker in Plunket Shield last season with 33 at 17.18 for Champions Wellington. He also played for Worcestershire this season and picked 27 wickets in seven county championship matches.
He also smashed three half-centuries and took eight wickets in nine T20 Blast games before he withdrew from the tournament due to a hamstring injury.
“Nathan’s been on our radar for a while having been a significant performer in domestic cricket for some time,” said head coach Gary Stead.
The Black Caps have added an additional two players to their central contract list for the new season 👀
Details 👇https://t.co/4e82eqzXkK
— ICC (@ICC) September 3, 2024
“He’s been particularly impressive in red-ball cricket and we think he has the skills to be successful in international cricket when he gets a chance.
While speaking about Clarkson, Stead said, “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 said of Clarkson.
“He’s a hard-hitting player with plenty of skills and has shown in his chances so far that he can offer a lot with bat and ball on the international stage.
“Josh will provide depth and add value given the volume of white-ball cricket on the horizon.”
They will be filling in the vacancy left by Conway and Allen. Conway who plays for Joburg Super Kings in SA20 has been offered a casual playing contract while Allen has signed a two-year deal with Perth Scorchers in the BBL and will remain eligible for the selection.
New Zealand’s home schedule starts next week with a one-off test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida before the three-match test series against India.
New Zealand 2024-25 central contract list: 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
