New Delhi, Aug 17 (IANS): New Zealand opener Finn Allen is set to sign a two-year deal with Perth Scorchers after opting out of the central contract.

The move, set to be officially confirmed in the coming days.

Allen, known for his explosive batting and a T20 strike rate of 168.60 – the second-highest for any batter with at least 3,000 runs in the format – had originally been included in NZC’s central contract list announced last month.

However, interest from the Perth Scorchers emerged recently, leading to Allen’s decision to prioritise the Big Bash League (BBL) over New Zealand’s white-ball series against Sri Lanka scheduled for late December, reported ESPNcricinfo.

Allen’s signing addresses a key gap for the Scorchers, who struggled last season to fill the opening role left by Cameron Bancroft’s move to Sydney Thunder. England’s Zak Crawley had a few good outings with two half-centuries in six innings, but consistency at the top was elusive.

Allen’s dynamic stroke play and proven ability to dominate world-class bowling attacks – as he demonstrated against Australia during the 2022 T20 World Cup with a blistering 42 off 16 balls – make him a valuable addition to the Scorchers’ roster.

The 24-year-old will be the third New Zealand player to be part of this year’s BBL, joining Colin Munro (Brisbane Heat) and Tim Seifert (Melbourne Renegades). Like Allen, Seifert declined a domestic contract to maximize his franchise cricket opportunities, while Munro retired from international cricket earlier this year after missing out on New Zealand’s T20 World Cup squad.

For the Scorchers, securing Allen as a pre-draft signing under the new multi-year contract mechanism is a strategic coup. However, it raises questions about the future of Laurie Evans, who was outstanding for the Scorchers last season, scoring 292 runs at an average of 58.40 with a strike rate of 189.61 before leaving for the ILT20.

While Scorchers explored bringing Evans back as a pre-draft signing, availability issues due to his ongoing commitments with the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the UAE meant the franchise had to pivot to Allen.

Although Evans remains in the mix for a possible return, Scorchers would need to pick him in the BBL draft – where they have retention rights – but with a limited window of availability due to the overlap with the ILT20 and SA20 tournaments. The BBL draft, scheduled for September 1, sees Scorchers holding picks 7, 15, 18, and 31.