A quartet of exciting talents has earned first-time BLACKCAPS central contracts for the 2025-26 season, with Mitch Hay, Muhammad Abbas, Zak Foulkes and Adi Ashok set to bolster New Zealand's ranks.
Hay, a 24-year-old keeper-batsman from Canterbury, struck an unbeaten 99 off 78 balls to anchor New Zealand's ODI innings against Pakistan earlier this year, and also set a world record with six dismissals in a T20I during his debut tour in Sri Lanka in November.
Twenty one year-old Wellington allrounder Muhammad Abbas smashed a record-breaking 52 off 26 balls on his ODI debut against Pakistan in March, setting the fastest fifty on debut in men's ODIs.
He also showcased his left-arm pace bowling in the same match, claiming Mohammad Rizwan as his maiden ODI wicket.
Foulkes (22) made his T20I debut for the BLACKCAPS against Pakistan last year, stepping in for the injured Adam Milne and impressing with his all-round skills. He made his ODI debut in November.
Auckland leg-spinner Adi Ashok (22) rounds out the newcomers, returning to the BLACKCAPS ODI squad earlier this year after making his debut in 2023, and most recently starring with a five wicket haul in New Zealand A's win over Bangladesh A at Sylhet. The selection process, managed by Chief High Performance Officer Bryan Stronach and overseen by NZC, involved BLACKCAPS head coach Gary Stead, selector Sam Wells, assistant coaches Jacob Oram and Luke Ronchi, and Performance Manager Mike Sandle.
A statistical review of domestic and international performances across Test, ODI, and T20I formats informed the rankings, with the final 20 players selected based on past performances, the 2025-26 schedule, and their likelihood of representing New Zealand.
NZC Chief Executive Scott Weenink hailed the new additions as a sign of New Zealand cricket's bright future.
"The contracts with Mitch, Muhammad, Adi and Zak reflect the incredible talent coming through our system," Weenink said.
"These players have shown they can compete at the highest level, and their hunger to represent the BLACKCAPS is exciting.
"We're thrilled to see this group drive our team forward."
Weenink added: "The list captures the depth and versatility of our talent pool. With a packed season ahead, including the ICC T20 World Cup in February, these players are ready to make their mark and inspire fans across New Zealand." Tim Southee (retired), Ish Sodhi, Ajaz Patel, and Josh Clarkson, all of whom were centrally contracted in 2024-25, were not offered contracts this year. Discussions on casual playing contracts for players such as Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, and Lockie Ferguson, are ongoing.
The full list of players centrally contracted for 2025-26 is: Muhammad Abbas, Adithya Ashok, Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, William O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Will Young.
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