Wellington, June 26 : New Zealand Cricket will announce the names of its top 20 contracted players for the coming year this Friday.

The list has been prepared after weeks of deliberation behind closed doors. The national selectors primarily base their decisions around the perceived value of each player to the team in the future.

The process involves the selectors ranking the top 25 individuals in order for tests, one-dayers and Twenty20s. The best test player is assigned 25 points and the 25th best is given one. The same system is followed in all three forms of the game but, reflecting test cricket''s standing as the No1 discipline, the test rankings are then doubled, stuff. co. nz reports.

That leaves a list of the top 20 players in the country, who are then offered contracts.

The best player will get paid 177,000 dollars and with each drop in ranking, the retainer diminishes in size. The player perceived as the 20th most valuable to the Black Caps in the next year rounds out the contract list with a retainer of 72,000 dollars. The players also earn match fees when they represent their country.

Potential contract list: Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Tim Southee, Jesse Ryder, Kane Williamson, Andy McKay, Kyle Mills, Daniel Vettori, Chris Martin, Hamish Bennett, Reece Young, Jacob Oram, Nathan McCullum, James Franklin, BJ Watling, Luke Woodcock, Daryl Tuffey, Rob Nicol, Doug Bracewell. (ANI)