New Zealand Central Contracts: Ace Blackcaps batter, Mark Chapman has earned his maiden central contract with the New Zealand Cricket (NZC). Chapman has been fascinating and phenomenal for the national side with the white ball in recent times and based on his solid approach, the apex body has finally rewarded the young lad with a sigh of relief.
Mark Chapman will bag the central contract with NZC with immediate effect. This is after veteran frontline batsman Martin Guptill decided to terminate his contract with the apex body. Guptill stated that he has forgone the contract with a purview to hunt golden domestic opportunities and participate in numerous franchise-based leagues across the globe. Chapman will fill in the void space left by Guptill.
New Zealand Central Contracts: A Glimpse of Mark Chapman Achievements
Mark Chapman has been a brilliant addition to New Zealand’s white-ball contingent. The 28-year-old left-handed batsman made his debut for the Kiwis back in 2014 in the shortest T-20I format. Since then, he has been in and out of the team owing to his inconsistency but grabbing a central contract will now prioritize his focus for the national team and Chapman can now be seen with the squad for a brief period.
In a total of 41 T20Is for New Zealand, Chapman has scored 773 runs with an average of 24.1. He has played for the Black-caps in 7 ODI’s and scored 262 runs with a splendid average of 52.4. Mark also has a fabulous first-class and list-A record.
New Zealand Head Coach Gary Stead was extremely delighted to have Chapman as a centrally contracted player. Stead stated that Chapman is a fine talent who always brings innovation in his batting techniques and the team will always benefit from his inclusion and performance.
Mark Chapman had a glorious season for New Zealand where he played extraordinary and glamorous shots. He was included in the T-20 World Cup squad in 2021 (UAE) as well as 2022 (Australia). He is also a part of New Zealand’s ODI squad that is set to tour India next month.