Cricket: Contracts put focus on future

Northern Districts left-arm swing bowler Trent Boult has received a contract to play for the national team. Photo / APN

The onus has clearly been placed on the future with yesterday's unveiling of the 20 players handed New Zealand Cricket contracts for the next 12 months.

The selections, done by national coach John Wright and acting national selection manager Mark Greatbatch, are very much with the accent on finding a way to wring better performances out of the national side.

A degree of treading water could be read into some of those who have missed out.

Seven have gone from last year's 20 - bowlers Brent Arnel, Daryl Tuffey and Jeetan Patel, wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins, opener Tim McIntosh, batsman Grant Elliott, and Scott Styris, who has retired.

The newcomers are Canterbury wicketkeeper Reece Young, Wellington spinner Luke Woodcock, Canterbury allrounder Rob Nicol and Northern Districts left-arm swing bowler Trent Boult.

"It's been a difficult year performance-wise, so there was always going to be some change," Greatbatch said yesterday.

"We've got to get better than we are, we've got to look further ahead."

Selections had been done on a player's "upside", and what value they will bring to the New Zealand setup in the coming year.

On that score, a case in point is Boult, who at 22 has been earmarked as a player for the future.

"He's starting to get a bit of experience, he's swinging the ball, bowling at good pace and he's the type of player we need to develop in the next 12 months."

Seamer Hamish Bennett, batsman Jamie How and allrounder James Franklin won elevated contracts early this year - earned when a player outside the contracted 20 accumulated a certain number of points based on test, ODI and T20 appearances.

They are gone this year, because of New Zealand Cricket's financial shortfall. However Bennett has a contract, not so the other two.

Greatbatch conceded that Franklin might have been the unluckiest to miss a spot. There is a feeling that Franklin, whose form was strong and lukewarm at different times last season, may have done his chips.

Batsmen Daniel Flynn and Neil Broom are back, after a spell out of favour. At 26 and 27 respectively, both put up solid domestic first-class form with 614 and 645 runs at 55.81 and 49.61, and each with a double century last summer.

Flynn's 16 tests and Broom's 22 ODIs mean they are hardly novices to the international game. They are evidence second chances are available.

No player better demonstrated the merits of putting up strong domestic numbers than Nicol, while allrounder Jacob Oram's inclusion confirms he will carry on next summer.

Greatbatch spoke glowingly of the ageless seamer Chris Martin, who will again lead the test attack at 36.

"He was a high performer in one form [tests] and deserved his reward. We need that balance and experience," Greatbatch said.

Who sits where is confidential, although the bands of payment are unchanged from last season. The No 1-rated player - new captain Ross Taylor - receives a basic $177,000, with match fees on top. Payments drop in $6000 increments down to the bottom three players, who all receive $72,000.

A top six can be read as Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson.

Players who have dropped off the list receive a parachute payment to carry them through from August 1 to September 30 and would then be expected to be high on the major association list when that is released later this month. Those deals kick in from October 1.

2011-12 contracts

*Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Jesse Ryder, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Tim Southee, Kyle Mills, Nathan McCullum, Reece Young, Chris Martin, Jacob Oram, Daniel Flynn, Neil Broom, Trent Boult, Hamish Bennett, Andy McKay, Luke Woodcock, BJ Watling, Rob Nicol.