NZC contract: Conway, Allen replaced by Nathan Smith, Josh Clarkson

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has handed over maiden international contracts to allrounders Nathan Smith and Josh Clarkson. They effectively came on board following Devon Conway and Finn Allen’s decisions to opt out of the national retainer.

While Smith is yet to make his international debut, he has been one of the most effective performers on the domestic circuit, finishing with 33 wickets in the last season of Plunket Shield. His incredible average of 17.18 not only helped Wellington win the tournament but also helped him win the Men's Domestic Player of the Year at the NZC Awards in March 2024.

"Nathan's been on our radar for a while having been a significant performer in domestic cricket for some time. 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," said head coach Gary Stead. 

Meanwhile, Clarkson has already represented New Zealand in three ODIs and six T20Is since making his debut in December 2023. He played a massive role in Central Stags winning the Plunket Shield and the Ford Trophy in the 2022-23 season.

"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'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,” the head coach added.

"Josh will provide depth and add value given the volume of white-ball cricket on the horizon."

New Zealand Cricket is currently facing an exodus of sorts in terms of talent, as Trent Boult, Kane Willamson, Devon Conway, and Finn Allen have decided to follow James Neesham and stay away from the Central Contracts.

While Williamson and Conway have been given a casual playing contract, Allen wasn’t given any such option, but he would remain eligible for selection on a case-to-case basis. 

New Zealand’s next encounter will be a one-off Test match against Afghanistan in Greater Noida, starting on September 9. 

New Zealand Men's central contracts

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

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