Wellington, 08 July (H.S.): New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has awarded casual playing contracts to Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Seifert and Adam Milne for the 2026–27 season. The four white-ball specialists will remain in contention for selection for New Zealand's upcoming home series against India.

The quartet will be available for the five-match T20 International and five-match One-Day International series against India, scheduled for October and November. They also remain part of New Zealand's long-term plans for the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup and the subsequent ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who was on a casual playing contract during the previous contract cycle, is no longer part of the programme after announcing his retirement from international cricket last month. Meanwhile, James Neesham has signed a domestic contract with Auckland, while Devon Conway and Blair Tickner have returned to New Zealand Cricket's central contract list.

NZC selector Gavin Larsen said the board was delighted to welcome Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne and Tim Seifert back into the contract programme. He said all four players have produced match-winning performances for the Black Caps on numerous occasions and continue to be valuable assets to the national side.

Larsen added that their experience of competing in franchise leagues around the world benefits both the players and the New Zealand team.

All four players are currently featuring in the 2026 Major League Cricket (MLC) season in the United States. Tim Seifert is representing the Seattle Orcas, Finn Allen plays for the San Francisco Unicorns, Lockie Ferguson is with Washington Freedom, while Adam Milne represents the Texas Super Kings.

Earlier in June, New Zealand Cricket announced its list of 20 centrally contracted players for the 2026–27 season, with Devon Conway and Blair Tickner returning to the central contracts. The addition of four casual playing contracts further strengthens New Zealand's plans for white-ball cricket.

New Zealand Central Contract List (2026–27)

Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak 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.

Casual Playing Contracts

Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Seifert and Adam Milne.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar