Hay, Abbbas, Foulks & Ashok get maiden NZ central contracts

Christchurch, June 3 (IANS) Wicketkeeper-batter Mitch Hay, allrounder Muhammad Abbas, pacer Zak Foulkes and leg-spinner Adi Ashok are the four new faces who have earned first-time New Zealand central contracts for the 2025-26 season.

Ish Sodhi, Ajaz Patel,Tim Southee and Josh Clarkson, all of whom were centrally contracted in 2024-25, were not offered contracts this year.

Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, and Lockie Ferguson have not taken the central contracts with New Zealand Cricket, saying "discussions on their casual playing contracts" are ongoing.

Hay, a 24-year-old keeper-batsman, struck an unbeaten 99 off 78 balls to anchor New Zealand’s ODI innings against Pakistan earlier this year, and also set a world record with six dismissals in a T20I during his debut tour in Sri Lanka in November.

Twenty-one-year-old Wellington allrounder Abbas smashed a record-breaking 52 off 26 balls on his ODI debut against Pakistan in March, setting the fastest fifty on debut in men’s ODIs. He also showcased his left-arm pace bowling in the same match, claiming Mohammad Rizwan as his maiden ODI wicket.

Foulkes (22) made his T20I debut for the New Zealand against Pakistan last year, stepping in for the injured Adam Milne and impressing with his all-round skills. He made his ODI debut in November.

Auckland leg-spinner Ashok (22) rounds out the newcomers, returning to the BlackCaps ODI squad earlier this year after making his debut in 2023, and most recently starring with a five wicket haul in New Zealand A’s win over Bangladesh A at Sylhet.

NZC Chief Executive Scott Weenink hailed the new additions as a sign of New Zealand cricket’s bright future.

"The contracts with Mitch, Muhammad, Adi and Zak reflect the incredible talent coming through our system. These players have shown they can compete at the highest level, and their hunger to represent the BlackCaps is exciting. We’re thrilled to see this group drive our team forward," Weenink said.

A statistical review of domestic and international performances across Test, ODI, and T20I formats informed the rankings, with the final 20 players selected based on past performances, the 2025-26 schedule, and their likelihood of representing New Zealand.

Players centrally contracted for 2025-26 is: Muhammad Abbas, Adithya Ashok, Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, William O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Will Young

--IANS

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