The team from the country of the long white cloud is the best when it comes to cricket! New Zealand’s cricket team also casts its shadow at the global level.
People generally give out a warm round of applause when the players are recognized for their skills and on-field behavior.
Not only does the NZC (the cricket board for the country) give good money for the talent in the Kiwi team, but also secures them in this way by the players being awarded the central contract.
We want to show you the 20 New Zealand cricketers who have got central contracts and their payouts in the following headline.
For the season of 2025-26, the centrally contracted playing squad of NZC was disclosed by the board. The contemporary batch of the NZC central contracted list included four new names alongside the 16 from the previous cycle. Adi Ashok, Mitchell Hay, Muhammad Abbas, and Zak Foulkes were officials about the news of their promotion to the senior team by being granted NZC central contracts.
While 16 of those players have been retained from the previous cycle, four new faces complete the list. Adi Ashok, Mitchell Hay, Muhammad Abbas, and Zak Foulkes have earned their first NZC central contracts.
It was not easy for Ajaz Patel, Ish Sodhi, Josh Clarkson, and Tim Southee as their names didn’t feature in the 2025-26 NZC central contract list. Tim Southee, the retiring cricketer, sent his formal request for the 2025-26 season.
The contract holders are obliged to participate in all the international matches of the country throughout the season. Moreover, they have to feature in the Super Smash as well- the T20 league which is part of the New Zealand’s domestic cricket.
Here’s the list of New Zealand’s centrally contracted cricketers for the 2025/26 season
| Player Name | Contract Status |
|---|---|
| Tom Blundell | Retained |
| Michael Bracewell | Retained |
| Mark Chapman | Retained |
| Jacob Duffy | Retained |
| Matt Henry | Retained |
| Kyle Jamieson | Retained |
| Tom Latham | Retained |
| Daryl Mitchell | Retained |
| Henry Nicholls | Retained |
| Will O’Rourke | Retained |
| Glenn Phillips | Retained |
| Rachin Ravindra | Retained |
| Mitchell Santner | Retained |
| Ben Sears | Retained |
| Nathan Smith | Retained |
| Will Young | Retained |
| Muhammad Abbas | New |
| Adithya Ashok | New |
| Zak Foulkes | New |
| Mitchell Hay | New |
New Zealand Cricket Players Who Received Casual Contracts
Other than the central contracts, NZC also presents a “Casual Playing Agreement” to a handful of Boy players. In this, players put themselves up for a few series or tournaments.
For the 2025/26 season, four key Kiwi players got into the casual playing agreement.
The casual contracted Kiwi boys are:
Devon Conway
Tim Seifert
Lockie Ferguson
New Zealand Cricketers and their Contracts
There is no central contract with different categories for the Black Caps as in some cases. However, the board will rank the players on the basis of their last season’s performance and their availability for the next season in all formats.
One point is given for ODIs and T20Is players’ performance each, while the value for contributing in Test cricket is 1.5 points. The total points are determined by the head coach. This, combined with the points by the selectors finally ranks the players thereby determining their payments.
Salaries of New Zealand Cricketers
A New Zealand cricketer who has a central contract will be paid between NZ$165,000 and NZ$318,000.
Regarding the salary scale of the contracted players, the top-ranked player earns NZ$318,000 every year. The contract of the lowest-ranked players allows them to draw NZ$165,000 only.
New Zealand Cricketers’ Match Fees
In addition to their yearly retainers, New Zealand cricketers get match fees for every international match they play in.
The match fee for a Test match is NZ$10,750 for a New Zealander. An ODI appearance will be paid NZ$4250. While NZ$2750 is the amount given to every player who plays a T20I match.
