New Zealand Cricket gives contracts to 4 young players
New Zealand Cricket has announced its contract list of 20 members for the 2010/11 season. Four new faces have been included in the central contract list excluding five retired cricketers. The 19-year old, Kane Williamson, is one of the four new faces contracted by the New Zealand Cricket.
Outstanding performances from the Northern Districts batsman, Kane Williamson, in the Domestic cricket earned him a call-up for the Test and One Day International Squad by New Zealand Cricket. However, the teenager is yet to make the playing XI of New Zealand’s national squad.
The New Zealand cricket team’s management is confident that the young player is all set to step into international cricket. The New Zealand cricket coach Mark Greatbatch has shown his confidence in the Northern Districts batsman, Kane Williamson. Greatbatch said that as far as the terms of cricket development are concerned, the teenager is perfect.
"Kane Williamson is a young player whose pedigree is impeccable in terms of cricket development. We are now confident that he can step into the international arena and further advance his game", said the New Zealand coach, while talking to media reporters after announcing the central contract list.
Kane Williamson has got a remarkable first class cricket background. The teenager has gotten an average of 46.06 in the first-class cricket. The Northern Districts batsman’s performance in the one-day format has been even more impressive as he averages 57 runs.
The other three youngsters, who got their names in the 20 member central contract list, are pacer Andy McKay, off-spinner Nathan McCullum, and, the wicket keeper BJ Watling. The senior New Zealand cricketers who have not been included in the list are the retired veterans Daniel Flynn, Neil Broom, fast bowler Iain O'Brien and the pacer duo James Franklin and Ian Butler. The all-rounder Scott Styris, who missed the central contract with NZC, last year, has also been included into the elite group of New Zealand Cricket.
Among all four new faces, Kane Williamson is the only one who has not yet made his international debut, despite getting call-ups to both ODI and Test squads. All the other three have already impressed the management in the international arena. McCullum was one of the leading performers of New Zealand in the 2010 World T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. McKay impressed the NZ skipper Daniel Vettori and the team management with his sizzling pace, while Watling has proven himself indispensible for the Test top-order.
Chris Martin has also been included into the contract list despite his poor performance in the home series against Australia in March. The retirement of O'Brien and Shane Bond has increased Martin’s responsibilities, who claimed only one wicket while conceding 260 runs in the Test series against Australia earlier this year.
The New Zealand Coach shielded the management’s decision of including Martin into the list as he said, "We think it is very easy to look in isolation at one or two Test matches at the end of summer, when he himself said those performances weren't at the level he wanted to aspire to. We still feel that he is going to help us in test cricket for the next 12 months".
The contracts awarded to the players are temporary and are expected to get finalized by the end of August.NZC and the players’ Association are still settling the terms and conditions of the central contracts to be awarded to the cricketers. Last year’s contracts will expire by the end of the ongoing month.
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