Auckland, Sep 3 (IANS): Allrounders Nathan Smith and Josh Clarkson have been handed central contracts by the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) after Devon Conway and Finn Allen, recently turned down their central contracts to pursue T20 league opportunities.

Smith, a 26-year-old from Wellington, has made a strong case for himself through his performances in domestic cricket. Last season, he was a standout performer in the Firebirds winning Plunket Shield campaign, leading the competition wicket-taking charts with 33 wickets at just 17, including career-best first-class figures of 6-36 against Canterbury.

His performances in the white-ball arena were also impressive – claiming 11 and 13 wickets in the Ford Trophy and Super Smash campaigns, respectively -- and his 4-5 against the Otago Volts in Alexandra the best men’s figures in last season’s men’s T20 competition.

“Nathan’s been on our radar for a while having been a significant performer in domestic cricket for some time. He’s been particularly impressive in red ball cricket and we think he has the skills to be successful in international cricket when he gets a chance," said head coach Gary Stead.

The 27-year-old Clarkson has featured in three ODIs and six T20Is for the New Zealand since making his international debut in the against Bangladesh in Dunedin in December.

The allrounder broke into contention off the back of a successful 2022-23 domestic campaign where his all-round performances helped his Central Stags lift both the Plunket Shield and the Ford Trophy.

"Josh has been involved in both white ball squads over the past twelve months which shows the strides he’s made in his game. He’s a hard-hitting player with plenty of skills and has shown in his chances so far that he can offer a lot with bat and ball on the international stage. Josh will provide depth and adds value given the volume of white ball cricket on the horizon," Stead added.

As the team looks ahead, New Zealand will resume action with a one-off Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida from September 7. This will be followed by a tour to Sri Lanka for two Tests and a subsequent series in India featuring three Tests.

New Zealand 2024-25 central contracts-

Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young