New Zealand opener Finn Allen is set to sign a two-year deal with Perth Scorchers. He recently became the latest Black Caps player to turn down the central contract, with the hope of focusing more on franchise cricket and signing for the Scorchers is the first step.
As per the new guidelines, each franchise can sign players on a multi-year deal, which would help them have a consistent set of players going forward. Apart from Scorchers, Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Sixers were due to announce their pre-draft signing ahead of the upcoming season of the Big Bash League. As per reports, West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein is linked to the Sixers but the franchise is yet to make any announcement.
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Meanwhile, Allen was part of New Zealand Cricket's (NZC) central contract list but the 25-year-old later jumped out of it. As per ESPNcricinfo, Scorchers’ offer came only recently and that may have no role in him opting out of the central contract. However, since he has now committed to Scorchers, he would miss the white-ball series against Sri Lanka, slated to take place in late December.
Allen also became the third New Zealand player to confirm his place in the BBL. Colin Munro, who announced his retirement from international cricket after failing to get into the T20 World Cup squad, has joined Brisbane Heat while Tim Seifart, who also refused a central contract, has joined Melbourne Renegades. With Trent Boult and Kane Williamson among others who also opted out of central contract in recent times, the number of New Zealanders in BBL is expected to increase in the coming days.
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Notably, in the 2023-24 season, Scorchers struggled with the opening combination, despite England opener Zak Crawley hitting two half-centuries in six innings. They signed Allen hoping to solve that issue this year as the youngster has a terrific record in T20 cricket. He has played 126 matches in the shortest format and has smashed 3544 runs at a strike rate of 168.60.
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