For the very first time in their careers, promising all-rounders Nathan Smith and Josh Clarkson are in receipt of central contracts from New Zealand Cricket (NZC). They fill the vacancies left by Devon Conway and Finn Allen in the 20-member list.
Clarkson played his first internationals against Bangladesh in Dunedin last year and Smith had a bright last Plunket Shield season with Wellington. Two positions opened up after warrants were made to Allen and Conway. Conway would eventually play for Joburg Super Kings in SAT20 league and accept a casual facilities contract with NZC.
Clarkson on the other hand has featured for the Black Caps during three ODI matches, while six T20 Internationals were slipped on his wrist. Smith came out as one of the leading cricketers at the home scene for Wellington. Their inclusion in the central contract list indicates that they are expected to play prominent roles in international cricket in a few months.
Biography of Gary Stead supported the appointment of Smith and Clarkson having praised them for winning the contracts. Stead elaborated on their belief: “Nathan’s been with the system for long having been a vital cog in domestic cricket for quite a while. Josh has been part of the two white ball squads in the last one year and that indicates the progress he has made in his game. He will offer depth and in turn bring worth out of the amount of white ball cricket which is on the corner.”
In any case, both Smith and Clarkson were members of the New Zealand U-19 team that competed in the 2016 ICC Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh. They were also among the first batch of contracted players to secure their first central contract after their Under-19 cohort players Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Ben Sears.
The decision by NZC to grant central contracts to players like Smith and Clarkson shows that the board is confident of their potential in the near future as these youngsters are trying to make a name for themselves internationally.
NEW ZEALAND CENTRAL CONTRACT 2024-25: Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.
