Wellington, 17 June (H.S.): New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Wednesday announced its central contract list for the 2026–27 season, marking the return of opening batter Devon Conway and fast bowler Blair Tickner. Meanwhile, Adithya Ashok and Mohammad Abbas have been left out of this year's list.

Conway had been on a casual playing agreement with NZC over the past two years as he remained occupied with T20 franchise leagues around the world. However, he has now committed to being available for all New Zealand international fixtures from August 2026 to July 2027.

New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said Conway has been a key member of the national side across all three formats for a long time, and his return comes at a crucial stage as the team undergoes significant transition. Following Kane Williamson's recent retirement, Conway's experience is expected to play an important role in strengthening the squad.

Fast bowler Blair Tickner also earned a recall after delivering consistently impressive performances in domestic cricket and at the international level. His five-wicket haul in the one-off Test against Ireland was a major factor behind his selection.

Jack Foulkes and Mitch Hay, who received central contracts last season, have retained their places in the squad.

NZC also clarified that Michael Bracewell and Mark Chapman requested not to be included in the Test contract rankings. Both players will now remain on the central contract list solely as limited-overs specialists.

The board further announced that casual playing agreements will be unveiled in the coming weeks, with players such as Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson and Tim Seifert expected to be included.

New Zealand Central Contract List (2026–27):

Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Jack Foulkes, Mitch 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 and Will Young.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar