New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS): As New Zealand's Test cricket team gears up for an intense schedule featuring nine Test matches over the coming months, the country's cricket landscape is experiencing growing tension between international commitments and franchise leagues.

With high-profile players opting out of central contracts, Test captain Tim Southee has acknowledged the issue and expressed hope that cricket boards and franchise leagues could find a way to work together to resolve it.

He noted that New Zealand Cricket (NZC) was actively working to balance the interests of both the players and the national team. "There are plenty of offers out there that weren't around years ago. But yeah, at the moment it's about concentrating on playing for New Zealand and giving that everything," Southee told ESPNcricinfo.

"We've seen a number of guys who haven't taken contracts, and some of them are sitting on this plane with those who have contracts," he added.

Among the players who have recently declined central contracts are star performers like Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, and Adam Milne. Of these, Williamson remains a key figure in the squad for the Afghanistan Test, which kicks off a challenging subcontinental tour.

New Zealand will play six Tests in the subcontinent—two against Sri Lanka and two against India—before returning home to host England later in the year.

Southee views the upcoming subcontinental tour as an exciting challenge for his team. "If you look at it as a whole—six Test matches in the subcontinent—it's exciting. It's probably something we haven't done in my time anyway. It's a great challenge for the side," he said.

He further highlighted Afghanistan's that has rapidly improved in recent years. Afghanistan's prowess in limited-overs formats is well-known, having recently reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup and causing several upsets in the One-Day World Cup.

"That part of the world, spin is going to play a big part. They've got some quality spinners, mixed in with some quality quicks as well. We've seen in other formats that's been their strength, their bowling unit, particularly their spinners. It's going to be an exciting challenge."

The Test against Afghanistan, scheduled from September 9 to 13, will be followed by a tour of Sri Lanka and then a return to India.