Conway comes in, openers left out
Cricketer-of-the-moment Devon Conway has vaulted onto the Black Caps payroll before he’s even played a match, while the international futures of Colin Munro and Jeet Raval look grim.
The South African run machine was a notable addition to the list of 20 contracted Black Caps for the 2020-21 season, announced today by coach Gary Stead and coselector Gavin Larsen.
In three changes from 2019-20, Conway, towering seamer Kyle Jamieson and spinner Ajaz Patel all earned their first contracts and will receive a monthly retainer starting in August. Munro, Raval and Todd Astle – who retired from first-class cricket in January – drop off the list.
Top-order batsman Will Young retained his spot after an injuryravaged 2019 which left him still waiting for an international callup.
Conway, 28, becomes eligible for New Zealand selection in August, three years after leaving Johannesburg and settling in Wellington to realise his dream of international cricket.
The left-handed top-order batsman put an irresistible case for inclusion playing for the Firebirds and was named men’s domestic player of the year two seasons running. In a remarkable feat he topped the run charts in all three formats in 2019-20, plundering nearly 1800 runs.
Conway’s presence means more bad luck for Raval who was dropped for the Boxing Day test as Blundell seized his chance at the top, and may need injuries or illness to add to his 24 tests.
Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Devon Conway, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Jimmy Neesham, Ajaz Patel, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson, Will Young. Conway, Jamieson, Patel
Todd Astle, Colin Munro, Jeet Raval
Munro, too, is feeling the increasing squeeze in the Twenty20 top order having been a regular on the contract list and once rated the world’s top T20 international batsman.
Jamieson was an easy choice after his stunning ODI and test performances against India, adding a new dimension with his height and bounce, and showing he could bat, too.
The selectors rank players 1-20 based on recent performances and their likelihood of featuring in the upcoming season. Tests are given a higher weighting than ODI and T20 cricket.
The top-ranked player gets an annual retainer of $243,000, dropping in increments to $103,000 for No 20, plus match fees. Captain Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Ross Taylor and Tim Southee remain the likely top-four, with the skipper probably still No 1 despite a rare dip in his test form.
Black Caps contracted players for 2020-21:
In: Out: