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New Zealand opener Finn Allen is poised to finalize a two-year contract with the Perth Scorchers, following his decision to decline the central contract. This move is expected to be officially announced soon.
Allen, renowned for his aggressive batting and a T20 strike rate of 168.60 – the second highest among players with over 3,000 runs in the format – was previously part of NZC’s central contract roster released last month.
Recently, the Perth Scorchers’ interest has swayed Allen to prioritize the Big Bash League (BBL) over New Zealand’s white-ball series against Sri Lanka set for late December, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
Allen’s recruitment fills a crucial void for the Scorchers, who faced challenges last season in replacing Cameron Bancroft, who moved to Sydney Thunder. While England’s Zak Crawley showed promise with two half-centuries in six innings, a stable opening partnership remained elusive.
Allen’s explosive batting and his knack for handling top-tier bowlers—evidenced by his 42 off 16 balls against Australia in the 2022 T20 World Cup—make him a significant asset for the Scorchers.
At 24, Allen will join Colin Munro (Brisbane Heat) and Tim Seifert (Melbourne Renegades) as the third New Zealander in this year’s BBL. Seifert also opted out of a domestic contract to focus on franchise cricket, while Munro retired from international play earlier this year after missing New Zealand’s T20 World Cup squad.
Securing Allen through the new multi-year contract mechanism is a strategic win for the Scorchers. However, it raises concerns about Laurie Evans’s future with the team, given his impressive performance last season, where he scored 292 runs at an average of 58.40 and a strike rate of 189.61 before his move to the ILT20.
Although the Scorchers considered re-signing Laurie Evans as a pre-draft acquisition, his current commitments with the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the UAE created availability challenges, prompting the franchise to turn to Allen instead.
Evans could still be a candidate for return, but the Scorchers would need to select him in the BBL draft, where they hold retention rights. However, his availability is constrained due to overlaps with the ILT20 and SA20 tournaments. The BBL draft, set for September 1, sees the Scorchers with picks at 7, 15, 18, and 31.
