“Black Caps batter Mark Chapman has made the decision to shift to a casual contract with New Zealand Cricket for the 2026-27 season to pursue an opportunity in the Australian Big Bash League.
New Zealand batter Mark Chapman has opted for a “casual contract” instead of a formal central deal with New Zealand Cricket to “pursue an opportunity” in the Australian Big Bash League but will remain available for the upcoming home series against India. New Zealand Cricket announced Chapman’s decision with a statement on Tuesday.
The Hong Kong-born player, who qualified for national selection through his father, has appeared in 37 ODIs and 113 T20Is, including some games for the country of his birth. New Zealand will kick off their home summer with a historic 12-match all-format series against India beginning October 22.
Chapman expressed gratitude towards New Zealand Cricket and said he remains committed to continue representing the country with pride. The upcoming India series is one all us players are really excited for, and I’m committed wholeheartedly to performing in that series,” he said. New Zealand Cricket Chief High Performance Officer Daryl Gibson said the shift creates exciting opportunity across the high performance system. “With Matt Fisher coming onto the central contract list, it creates a space at Northern Districts to bring another athlete onto their contract list to continue their development,” he said.
“I’m thankful to New Zealand Cricket for their support now and throughout my career.
