Devon Conway returns as New Zealand announce central contracts; two players miss out

Devon Conway has returned to New Zealand Cricket’s central contracts list for the 2026-27 season. New Zealand Cricket confirmed a 20-player contract pool, with Conway and fast bowler Blair Tickner earning places in the squad, while Adithya Ashok and Muhammad Abbas were the two players to miss out.

New Zealand Cricket announced the contracts on June 17, finalizing the group’s core players for the next international season. The contract period runs from August 1, 2026, to July 31, 2027, and includes a busy schedule featuring several important Test matches, along with bilateral ODI and T20I series across the year.

It’s Great to Have a Player of His Calibre Back – Rob Walter on Devon Conway’s Return

New Zealand head coach Rob Walter welcomed Devon Conway’s return to the central contracts list and said the experienced batter will bring valuable quality and stability to the squad.

“Devon has been a regular member of the side in all three formats for some time now, even whilst on a casual contract, so it’s great to have a player of his calibre back on the central contract list, especially with the amount of exciting cricket coming up.”

Conway returns to a full contract after spending the past two years on a casual playing agreement. He, who has scored over 6,000 runs in 146 international caps, has made himself fully available for all national selection commitments throughout the 12-month contract window.

Blair Tickner Has Worked Extremely Hard Over the Past Few Years – Rob Walter

Rob Walter praised Blair Tickner for his dedication and development over the last few years. Walter said the fast bowler has consistently improved his game and has successfully adapted to different roles whenever the team has needed him.

“Blair has worked extremely hard over the past few years and added new levels to his game. He’s an excellent team man and has stepped into various roles for the side over the past few months and excelled in them.”

“It’s important we continue to nurture that depth in our bowling stocks, especially with a heavy diet of red-ball cricket over the next 12 months, so to have Blair contracted full-time will help maintain that depth.”

Tickner earned his return to the central contracts list after his strong performances for both the Central Stags and New Zealand. The right-arm pacer has taken four or more wickets in five of his last eight international innings, including his maiden five-wicket haul against Ireland in the one-off Test at Stormont last month.

Michael Bracewell and Mark Chapman Opt to Focus on White-Ball Cricket

Michael Bracewell and Mark Chapman asked New Zealand Cricket to consider them only for white-ball cricket. Both players decided to step away from red-ball commitments and focus on ODIs and T20Is.

Bracewell and Chapman remain on the central contracts list as white-ball specialists. Meanwhile, Zak Foulkes and Mitch Hay retained their contracts after making important contributions across all three formats during the past 12 months and establishing themselves in the national setup.

Former captain Kane Williamson is not included on the casual contracts list following his retirement from international cricket. New Zealand Cricket is still finalizing casual agreements for several players, with announcements expected soon regarding Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson, and Tim Seifert.

New Zealand Men’s Centrally Contracted Players (2026-27)

Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Mitchell Hay, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Will Young.