Devon Conway picks casual contract, Finn Allen turns down central contract

For New Zealand Cricket (NZC), two key players have made important decisions regarding their central contracts. Opener Devon Conway has opted for a casual contract, while Finn Allen has declined a short-form central contract offer.

Conway's decision to choose a casual contract with NZC allows him to participate in the SA20 league in January while remaining available for New Zealand's Test matches and important white-ball tournaments. 

"This means the 33-year-old is available for all nine of the BLACKCAPS 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," said New Zealand Cricket in a statement.

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Under this new arrangement, Conway will be available for all nine of New Zealand's upcoming Test matches, the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, and the tri-series against Pakistan and South Africa. However, he will miss the white-ball games against Sri Lanka that overlap with the SA20 in January.

"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," said NZC.

The 33-year-old also opened up on his decision and thanked the board for their support during the process. He stated that this major decision was taken by keeping his family in consideration.

"Firstly, I'd like to thank New Zealand Cricket for their support through this process. 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," he said.

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It's important to have flexibility in our system to navigate some of the challenges: Scott Weenik

On the other hand, Allen, a promising short-format batter, has declined a central contract offer to focus on franchise opportunities. NZC stated that Allen's selection for upcoming squads will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

"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," the statement added.

NZC CEO Scott Weenik acknowledged the challenges presented by franchise cricket and emphasized the organization's efforts to retain top players by choosing to have some changes in the contract. 

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 said.