New Zealand Cricket (NZC), on Thursday, announced the list of centrally contracted players for the 2023-24 season. Fast bowler Adam Milne has been awarded a central contract for the first time in five years. The 31-year-old pacer played in 16 white-ball games for the Black Caps in the last season.
Notably, Milne stands as a potential candidate for selection in the upcoming 50-over World Cup scheduled to be held in India later this year. Further, Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, and Blair Tickner have been retained after being added to the list midway through last season. The trio has filled the vacancies left by Colin de Grandhomme, who retired from international cricket in August 2022, as well as Trent Boult and Martin Guptill, who opted not to accept national contracts last year.
“Adam’s worked exceptionally hard, and has shown good resilience over the past few years to be in a position to earn this contract offer. He’s always been a top-class bowler, and we were impressed by his consistent contributions in the recent home summer and the tour of Pakistan,” said coach Gary Stead as quoted by Stuff.
Stead also provided an update on Kane Williamson, who is presently sidelined due to a leg injury sustained during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. The New Zealand coach mentioned that the Black Caps’ captain is making rapid progress in his recovery, but cautioned that it is premature to discuss Williamson’s availability for the upcoming ODI World Cup.
“He’s tracking well, we’re pleased where he’s at. Whether that’s ready or early enough for the World Cup is still too early for us to know for sure,” added Stead.
NZC contracts for 2023-24 season: Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson and Will Young
