Patel misses out on NZ Cricket contract; Milne back after five years

Ajaz Patel
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Black Caps spinner Ajaz Patel, just the third bowler in the history of test cricket to take all ten wickets in an innings, has lost his New Zealand cricket contract.

NZC has released its list of 20 centrally contacted players with fast bowler Adam Milne making the cut for the first time in five years.

Patel played just two tests last season and misses out under the contracting system by not playing in the Black Caps ODI or Twenty20 squads.

Adam Milne
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Milne’s promotion comes off the back of his most productive international season, in which he appeared 16 times for the Black Caps across T20’s and ODI’s claiming 24 including a career-best 5-26 in the second T20I against Sri Lanka, the third best T20I figures by a New Zealander.

Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, and Blair Tickner have been retained after joining last year’s list mid-season, replacing Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme and Martin Guptill – all of whom requested and were granted releases.

Boult has again declined a central contract, but NZC said the veteran left-arm paceman has committed to being available for the Black Caps for part of the playing programme and has been offered a casual playing agreement.

Players offered central contracts for 2023-24: Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young.

-RNZ