Black Caps: Twenty20 freelancers commit to New Zealand for World Cup, sign casual playing deals

With one eye on next year’s Twenty20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, the Black Caps have confirmed a trio of short-form specialists in their list of casually contracted players for the upcoming home season.

After last year saw both Kane Williamson and Devon Conway decline New Zealand Cricket (NZC) central contracts in favour of casual deals, the trio of Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson and Tim Seifert have now joined that group.

“With such a pinnacle event on the horizon we wanted to ensure our best T20 players were ready and available to push for inclusion,” said NZC chief executive Scott Weenink.

“The casual agreements are a commitment from the players to NZC and the Black Caps, and in return NZC will offer our full support to these players as part of our high-performance system.

“The message from the players is that playing for the Black Caps is hugely important to them and I’m pleased we’ve been able to agree terms to have them casually contracted for the coming season.

“Rob [Walter] and the team have a massive period of cricket ahead, home and away, and I know myself along with all of our fans can’t wait to follow and support.”

In essence, a central contract means playing for New Zealand is a player’s primary occupation. A central contract does not guarantee selection, albeit NZC have previously said priority will be given to those who have committed to the national cause.

As seen with the likes of Trent Boult – who handed a central contract back in 2022 – a player taking up a casual deal allows for the chance to remain committed to New Zealand where possible, provided it does not clash with other commitments, namely in T20 franchise leagues.

As a result, Allen, Ferguson and Seifert will be available for New Zealand throughout the home summer, starting with white ball series against Australia and England.

Williamson, though, has also confirmed he will not be available for the series with Australia, after also opting out of this year’s tour of Zimbabwe. New Zealand’s squad to face Australia will be named on Wednesday.

The casual contracts come on top of NZC’s named group of centrally contracted players, which was confirmed earlier this year.

Allen’s inclusion is an about face from NZC, after he was not awarded a casual deal last year, when he handed back his central contract.

Seifert, meanwhile, has become a fixture for the Black Caps in the shortest format, both for his wicketkeeping and his batting at the top of the order.

The 30-year-old was the leading run scorer in New Zealand’s Twenty20 Tri-series win against both South Africa and Zimbabwe, with 196 at an average of 49.

Lastly, Ferguson’s commitment adds to the Black Caps’ bowling stocks, after the 34-year-old previously told the Alternative Commentary Collective’s Agenda podcast that he wanted to remain eligible for national selection, while pursuing opportunities elsewhere.

However, while the five casually contracted players have been confirmed, there is no room on the list for the likes of Jimmy Neesham and Adam Milne, who have also taken the opportunity to pursue careers as T20 freelancers.

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