https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/crick...p-black-caps-contracts-list-for-202324-season
Devon Conway could top Black Caps contracts list for 2023/24 season
ANALYSIS: How Kane Williamson is expected to recover from his knee injury could decide whether he remains the highest-paid Black Cap.
The regular white-ball captain of the national men’s team could be usurped by Tim Southee or Devon Conway – or both – at the top of the central contracts list of 20 players expected to be announced by New Zealand Cricket later this week.
The 32-year-old ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee while fielding for Gujarat Titans in the opening game of the Indian Premier League in April, has had surgery and is a longshot to be fit for the one-day World Cup starting in October.
Should he be unavailable for the tournament, it would reduce his contract worth for the 2023/24 season, with the World Cup being the major event of the international calendar for New Zealand.
NZ Cricket doesn’t release details of how the top 20 players rank on the contracts list, but it’s a given that Williamson has held the No.1 spot for a number of years.
The top-ranked Black Cap last season was able to receive a maximum of $523,396, the 10th-ranked player $444,196, and the 20th-ranked $367,196.
For match fees, the Black Caps receive $10,250 per test, with both the New Zealand men and women getting $4000 for international one-day games, and $2500 for international T20 matches.
The durable Southee took over the test captaincy from Williamson last December, giving him some extra weight in status. He plays all three formats and will undoubtedly be part of the Black Caps squad for the World Cup in India, if not necessarily a non-negotiable first choice if Trent Boult is available.
Conway could even leap above the pair, given his contributions over the past year in tests, ODIs and Twenty20s – where he is a first-choice batter in each format – and how that form is predicted to continue.
The 31-year-old has made 1212 test runs in the past contract season at an average of 52.47, with one hundred and five half-centuries. The left-handed opener also scored 508 ODI runs at 39.07, with two centuries in 15 games, and 632 runs at 42.13 (with a Strike Rate of 122.71) in 18 T20Is.
Conway also starred for the Chennai Super Kings, who contested the IPL final overnight (NZ time).
Wagner’s shaky contract status
Boult’s desire to play tests next summer – despite not being contracted – could possibly result in Neil Wagner missing out.
Boult was given a release from his contract early last season and has only played in nine T20s for the Black Caps since, including last year’s World Cup.
However, the left-arm pace bowler is likely to be part of the New Zealand squad at the World Cup.
He’s also expressed an interest in being available for selection for two big test series in New Zealand in February and March – the first versus South Africa, the latter against Australia.
Should the 33-year-old be available for four tests, that would lessen Wagner’s chances of selection – with the Black Caps’ only other tests next season being two away encounters against Bangladesh in November-December this year.
Wagner has never played an ODI or T20I for New Zealand, so relies on test selection to make him worthy of a Black Caps contract.
The 37-year-old had a roller-coaster summer – he played the first test in Pakistan but was omitted from the XI for the second test.
In the first test at home versus England, Wagner took 4-82 in the first innings then conceded the second-most expensive economy rate in test history when the tourists batted again in Mount Maunganui.
England took to him again in the first innings in Wellington – 1-119 from 21 overs – but Wagner pushed the hosts to a miraculous win when taking 4-62 in 15.2 overs in England’s chase for victory after NZ had followed on.
Wagner tore his right hamstring and suffered a bulging disc in his back in the first test against Sri Lanka the following month, ending his season – but he was at the wicket with Williamson when they ran a bye to win the test off the last ball.
Even without a contract, Wagner could still be selected for the test side at any stage.
Henry set for reward
One bowler guaranteed a contract and a decent pay jump is seamer Matt Henry.
The 31-year-old flourished in a senior role – he took 17 wickets in three home test appearances at an average of 25.23, 24 ODI wickets in 15 games at 26.91(ER 4.73) after being the standout bowler in Pakistan recently and was also good value in the T20 side there.
Pace-bowling allrounder Kyle Jamieson is another Black Caps star currently on the long-term injured list, making him tougher to evaluate, although head coach Gary Stead said recently that the 28-year-old was still considered a possibility to be fit for the World Cup.
Jamieson suffered a recurrence of a stress fracture in his back just before the start of the test series against England in February, after he’d battled his way back to fitness from the back problem which ruled him out of the test series in England last year.
Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel however may struggle to stay on the contracted players list.
The 34-year-old was included in the top 20 last year before the three-test series in England but bowled only two overs. He played both tests in the drawn series in Pakistan but was outshone by legspinner Ish Sodhi and allrounder Michael Bracewell. He didn’t play any of the four home tests later that summer and may be in the same camp as Wagner, with just one string to his bow.
Possible Black Caps contracts for 2023/24 (in ranking order):
Devon Conway, Tim Southee, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Matt Henry, Michael Bracewell, Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Finn Allen, Will Young, Kyle Jamieson, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner, Henry Shipley.
runs<br>
balls<br>
fours and as many sixes 
<br><br>Devon Conway made his presence count in Bengaluru and powered <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a> to a massive total!<br><br>Relive his opening special here 
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvCSK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvCSK</a><a href="https://t.co/ICnxcEBLqq">https://t.co/ICnxcEBLqq</a> <a href="https://t.co/adWffGs3QQ">pic.twitter.com/adWffGs3QQ</a></p>— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1647993219958054913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
