Black Caps: NZ Cricket invest in future with 2025/26 contract list, no new players opt for T20 freelance rout

New Zealand Cricket is investing in its future, as a core of younger players have been awarded their maiden central contracts for the 2025/26 season.

With the Black Caps in the midst of a transitional period after the golden generation of the late 2010s, the national body has cast an eye to the future with the 20-man list.

The 20 contracts are awarded by a ranking system, which assesses players’ value to the Black Caps across all three formats, judged by a panel made up of outgoing coach Gary Stead, chief selector Sam Wells, NZC’s chief high performance officer Bryan Stronach, assistant coaches Jacob Oram and Luke Ronchi, and team manager Mike Sandle.

As a result, the quartet of Auckland’s Adithya Ashok, Wellington’s Muhammad Abbas, and Canterbury pair Zak Foulkes and Mitch Hay have all been handed their first deals with NZC.

All four have made a handful of appearances for New Zealand, but have been earmarked for big futures across formats.

“The contracts with Mitch, Muhammad, Adi and Zak reflect the incredible talent coming through our system,” NZC chief executive Scott Weenink said.

“These players have shown they can compete at the highest level, and their hunger to represent the Black Caps is exciting.

“We’re thrilled to see this group drive our team forward.”

However, their inclusions come at the expense of spinners Ajaz Patel and Ish Sodhi, and all-rounder Josh Clarkson, while another contract was vacated by the retirement of Tim Southee.

Furthermore, unlike the 2024/25 contract list, no players appear to have passed up a central contract in order to chase freelance opportunities in T20 competitions.

Last year, Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne opted out of central contracts, while Tim Seifert did the same at domestic level with Northern Districts.

Players without contracts are still eligible for national selection. The likes of Allen, Seifert and all-rounder Jimmy Neesham - who has not been contracted since the 2021/22 season - returned for the Black Caps’ T20 series against Pakistan last summer.

Those three players have made clear their intention to push for a place in New Zealand’s squad for next year’s T20 World Cup in India.

Black Caps contract list: Adithya Ashok, Michael Bracewell, Tom Blundell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Muhammad Abbas, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Will Young

Out: Tim Southee (retired), Ish Sodhi, Ajaz Patel, Josh Clarkson

Uncontracted: Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, Jimmy Neesham

Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.