Conway opts for casual contract; Allen declines NZ's central deal

Christchurch, Aug 15 (IANS) New Zealand's veteran batter Devon Conway declined the opportunity for a central playing contract and instead opted for a casual playing contract, the New Zealand Cricket said on Thursday.

Conway, who was selected in the New Zealand's Test squad this week for the overseas contests against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, has confirmed his availability for all international fixtures in the upcoming twelve months, bar the six white ball games against Sri Lanka in January, NZC said.

The 33-year-old, however, will be available for all nine of New Zealand's upcoming Test matches, as well as the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan in February, and the tri-series against Pakistan and South Africa ahead of it.

The decision to offer Conway a casual playing contract was made after the left-hander committed to not only playing for the BlackCaps outside this January’s window, but being available for key warm-up games ahead of the Champions Trophy, and scheduling breaks to manage workload issues.

Conway confirmed an opportunity to play in the next installment of the SA T20 in January was the driving force behind the change to his NZC contract.

''The decision to move away from a central playing contract isn’t one I’ve taken lightly, but I believe it is the best for me and my family at this present time. Playing for the BLACKCAPS is still the pinnacle for me and I’m hugely passionate about representing New Zealand and winning games of international cricket," Conway was quoted by NZC.

"I’m excited to be part of the upcoming Test squads for an important period in the ICC World Test Championship cycle and am looking forward to being involved in the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan next February if selected," he added.

Meanwhile, top-order batter Fin Allen will not be offered a casual playing contract after he also chose to decline the option of a central playing contract.

"Short-format batter Finn Allen has turned down a central contract offer to concentrate on franchise opportunities and has not been offered a casual playing contract. Allen will remain available for the BLACKCAPS and his selection for upcoming squads will be on a case-by-case basis," NZC said in a statement.

An announcement on the two players to replace Conway and Allen on the BLACKCAPS central playing contract list will be made in due course.

NZC CEO Scott Weenink said casual playing contracts were only offered on a discretionary basis but that Conway’s overall playing record, combined with his commitment to be available for the vast majority of BLACKCAPS games, sealed the deal.

“We’re delighted with Devon’s decision to commit to the BLACKCAPS – he’s a quality player who’s made a strong contribution to the team over the past few years,” said Weenink."In the current environment, it’s important to have flexibility in our system to navigate some of the challenges posed by franchise cricket – and this is another example of how we’re working hard to retain our best players," he conlcuded.