Follow UsNew Zealand will be without their talismanic batter Kane Williamson, as the former skipper has opted out of the upcoming three-match T20I series against Australia. As per Cricbuzz, Williamson, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Finn Allen, and Tim Seifert have all agreed to a new New Zealand Cricket (NZC) casual agreement.
According to the arrangements, the five players can pick and choose which T20I series they want to play ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, while still "receiving coaching, medical and mental skills support, alongside access to gym and cricket facilities."
"With such a pinnacle event on the horizon we wanted to ensure our best T20 players were ready and available to push for inclusion," NZC CEO Scott Weenink said. "The casual agreements are a commitment from the players to NZC and the Black Caps, and in return NZC will offer our full support to these players as part of our high-performance system.
"The message from the players is that playing for the BLACKCAPS is hugely important to them and I'm pleased we've been able to agree terms to have them casually contracted for the coming season."
Not only Williamson but Allen will also miss the Australia series, with the opener still recovering from a foot injury he suffered a while back. The first of the three T20Is begins on October 1 (Wednesday), with all three clashes hosted at the same venue -- Mount Maunganui.
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