Three new additions to the list of 21 players offered NZC contracts

Cricket365
June 23, 2017

Colin de Grandhomme, Jeet Raval and Neil Broom are the new names on New Zealand Cricket’s list of 21 players offered central contracts for the 2017-18 year.

Under the terms of NZC’s Master Agreement with the New Zealand Cricket Players Association, the 21 players have until Wednesday, June 28 to accept or decline the contract offers.

De Grandhomme, Raval and the recalled Broom played for the Black Caps over recent months and during the 2016-17 summer.

Of the players centrally contracted during the previous year, off-spinner Mark Craig and paceman Doug Bracewell have not received offers to renew the arrangement, while wicket-keeper Luke Ronchi has announced his retirement from international cricket.

In Ronchi’s absence, BJ Watling is the only specialist wicket-keeper offered a central contract for the upcoming year, leaving aspiring up-and-coming candidates such as Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips and Tim Seifert to develop their claims.

Black Caps selector Gavin Larsen said Bracewell’s absence from the list was influenced by the injury he sustained in December, cutting back his opportunities for game time and allowing others to overtake him.

“Doug is still viewed very positively by the selectors and has a big year in front of him in terms of bouncing back from his injury and proving his worth,” said Larsen.

“It’s been a difficult time for him since the knee injury but we’re all hopeful he’ll make a full and sustainable recovery.”

Larsen said de Grandhomme, Raval and Broom were all deserving of their contract offers following productive spells for the BLACKCAPS last summer.

“Colin made a breakthrough last summer and is rated well in all three formats; Jeet’s Test numbers speak for themselves, and Neil, as well as averaging 43 in ODI cricket (with a strike-rate of 90) since his recall, is also seen as viable cover for the Test team’s middle-order.”

Spin-bowler Jeetan Patel, who made himself available for a number of recent Black Caps Tests and ODIs, including the Champions Trophy squad, was not considered for a central contract offer.

“It was agreed the time was right for Jeetan to focus on Warwickshire, so as to allow plenty of opportunity for others to stake their claims ahead of the 2019 ICC World Cup,” said Larsen.

“We enjoyed having Jeetan’s experience and skill over recent times but we’re into a new cycle now; it’s two years out from the ICC CWC, and we’re committed to bringing other players through.”

A set criteria is used to rank players across all three forms of the game, with Tests receiving twice the weighting of One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals.

Players offered central contracts for 2017-18: Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Neil Broom, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Henry Nicholls, James Neesham, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson, George Worker.