Conway and Tickner return to New Zealand Cricket's central contract list

Devon Conway and Blair Tickner are back on New Zealand Cricket's central contract list for the 2026-27 season, signaling a shift in the national team's player management. Conway, a top-order batter, returns after two years on a casual playing agreement, allowing him to participate in global franchise tournaments. His full-time contract comes as New Zealand Cricket prepares for a demanding year of test cricket and following the retirement of former captain Kane Williamson.

Pace bowler Blair Tickner also earned his recall through impressive performances for both domestic and international teams. Head coach Rob Walter highlighted Tickner's hard work and improved game, emphasizing the need to nurture bowling depth for the upcoming heavy schedule of red-ball matches. "It's important we continue to nurture that depth in our bowling stocks," Walter stated, noting that Tickner's full-time contract will be crucial for maintaining this depth.

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Blair has worked extremely hard over the past few years and added new levels to his game. It's important we continue to nurture that depth in our bowling stocks, especially with a heavy diet of red-ball cricket over the next 12 months, so to have Blair contracted full-time will help maintain that depth.

With Conway and Tickner's inclusions, Adithya Ashok and Muhammad Abbas have been removed from the list. Additionally, Michael Bracewell and Mark Chapman have requested to be contracted solely as white-ball specialists. The updated list includes 20 players, with the NZC aiming to balance the needs of different formats and ensure sufficient depth across all bowling and batting disciplines.

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Devon has been a regular member of the side in all three formats for some time now, even whilst on a casual contract, so it's great to have a player of his calibre back on the list, especially with the amount of exciting cricket coming up.