Cricket: Four new faces in NZC's top 20

The top three pick themselves, but after that figuring out where New Zealand's 20 contracted players sit in the pecking order is pure guesswork.

National captain Dan Vettori, heir apparent Ross Taylor and wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum are top of the list released by New Zealand Cricket yesterday.

NZC does not publicise the order of contracted players - their basic retainers are scaled with the bottom three on the same band - but certain things can be taken for granted.

Beyond that, though, it's a different story.

Players are assessed essentially on their value in the year to come, across the three forms of the game. The three selectors, Mark Greatbatch, Vettori and Glenn Turner, rate their top 25 players in each version.

Test marks are worth double the other two to compensate those who play only tests and to indicate the view that that form remains the pre-eminent version of the game.

That explains why a player such as opening batsman Tim McIntosh, who would not come close to an ODI or T20 side, can earn a solid rating as a test-only player.

Four players have gone from last summer's list - batsmen Neil Broom and Daniel Flynn, allrounder James Franklin and fast-medium Ian Butler, whom Greatbatch singled out yesterday as being particularly unlucky to miss out.

Veteran Scott Styris returns, on the back of a solid ODI and T20 summer and after seemingly being put on the shelf by the selectors last year.

"You've got to give Scotty some credit," Greatbatch said. "He went away, got fitter and improved his game and performed to a very high level, so you've got to reward that."

Bowlers Nathan McCullum and Andy McKay, batsman BJ Watling and allrounder Kane Williamson are in for the first time.

Only two players, seasoned allrounder Jacob Oram and Styris, are unavailable for test cricket, although several others would be well down in the selection order.

The system is not infallible, Greatbatch admitted. The three selectors do their lists, compare notes and come up with their 25.

The bottom five of that group go on to the domestic contracts, 12 players being rewarded at each province. Those names are expected by about August 9.

"I'm not sure if there is an ideal system because people miss out, and not by much either," Greatbatch said.

"It is quite a vigorous process which we started about a month and a half ago.

"In an ideal world you'd want everything done on hardcore performances. It doesn't always work like that."

New Zealand's last meaningful matches were the two T20 games against Sri Lanka in Florida immediately after the world T20 in the Caribbean in mid-April.

Players have a week to accept their contracts. Those going to the tri-series in Sri Lanka, leaving on Friday, will have an interim contract carrying on under the terms of the arrangement which was due to finish on July 31.

The new Master Agreement between NZC and the players' association is still being completed. That interim deal will be in place until August 31 or the confirmation of the new agreement, whichever comes first.

Under the current arrangement, the top-rated player receives a retainer of $177,000, No 2 is worth $171,000, No 3 $165,000 and so on, down to places 18-20, who all receive $72,000.

On top of that players receive match fees. A test appearance is worth $7325, an ODI outing $3175 and a T20 game $2075. Any additional benefits for players when the new agreement is signed will be backdated to August 1.

SIGNED UP

New Zealand Cricket's 20 contracted players for the year until July 31, 2011:

Brent Arnel, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Gareth Hopkins, Chris Martin, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Tim McIntosh, Andy McKay, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Daryl Tuffey, Daniel Vettori, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson