Towering pace bowler Kyle Jamieson has been rewarded for an impressive debut series against India earlier this year by being awarded a central contract by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) for the next 12 months.
South African-born batsman Devon Conway and left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel also received their first central contracts, NZC said in a statement on Friday.
The contracts, which include a base salary alongside usual match fees, are awarded each year to the 20 players expected to feature prominently for the national side in the next 12 months.
“It’s really exciting to offer contracts to Kyle, Ajaz and Devon who have all impressed over the past 12 months,” selection manager Gavin Larsen said in the statement.
“Kyle’s performances against the might of India were nothing short of outstanding and at 25 years of age he’s certainly got a big future. We see Ajaz as the incumbent test spinner at present and he’ll be looking to stamp his mark on that spot after some superb efforts with the ball in the sub-continent. Devon’s form with the bat across all three formats these past two seasons made him impossible to ignore and he’s going to be a great option to add to the batting mix.”
Conway, 28, will be cleared to play for the national team from late August after he completes his three-year residency requirement.
He topped the scoring charts in all three forms of cricket in New Zealand’s domestic competitions last season.
The 25-year-old Jamieson, however, was New Zealand’s find of the test series against India in February and March where he used his 2.04-metre height to extract steep bounce off a length and consistently trouble the batsmen.
Jamieson took nine wickets, including his first five-wicket haul, in the test series that New Zealand won 2-0, a result that helped propel Australia above India to the top of the International Cricket Council test rankings.
Limited overs specialist Colin Munro, legspinner Todd Astle and opening batsman Jeet Raval dropped off the list.
