Cricket: Darren Broom gains Otago contract

Darren Broom
Darren Broom
Otago has added promising batsman Darren Broom to its list of contracted players this summer.

Broom, the younger brother of accomplished Otago batsman Neil Broom, shifted to Dunedin from Canterbury last season to press his claims.

The right-hander made an immediate impact, scoring several centuries at club level, but had to wait deep into the summer before getting an opportunity at first-class level.

He capitalised, scoring a century on debut, and also helped North Otago lift the Hawke Cup with an impressive knock of 133.

For the first time the contracting process was split into two rounds, with the major associations announcing the bulk of their contracted players earlier in the month.

Auckland added strike bowler Gareth Shaw and Dusan Hakaraia replaces Johann Myburgh, who was offered a contract but declined, to pursue a playing career in England.

Canterbury rounds out its roster with seamer Carl Frauenstein, and Central Districts added former Otago all-rounder Kieran Noema-Barnett.

Twenty-year-old fast bowler Anurag Verma joins Northern Districts' talented line-up, while Harry Boam and Malaesaili Tugaga have been offered Wellington contracts.

New Zealand Cricket will hold a regional forum in association with the Otago Cricket Association at the University Oval tonight.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan and general manager Geoff Allott will attend, with Vaughan talking about future challenges, direction and goals for the sport.

Otago chief executive Ross Dykes will provide an update on the University Oval development and key projects.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's tour of New Zealand this summer will feature two tests and six one-day internationals and three twenty/20 contests, NZPA reports.

The Pakistanis were to play a three-match test series but officials from both countries decided to reduce that to help their teams' preparations for the one-day World Cup starting in February in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The decision is in line with a change to New Zealand's tour schedule in Bangladesh in October for which the one-day series has been expanded from three to five matches and the two tests rescheduled for April.

The tour starts with three twenty/20 internationals be-tween Christmas and New Year.

The two tests will then be played in Hamilton and Wellington in early January before the one-day series.

NZC will now work to finalise its domestic schedule.

"The shape of the international schedule allows the maximum opportunity for Black Cap participation in the domestic twenty/20 competition and also to provide a real focus on twenty/20 during the period from early December to early January for both domestic and international cricket," Vaughan said.

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