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Melbourne - Fringe Test batsmen Shaun Marsh and Phil Hughes have been rewarded with contracts while incumbent Test No.3 Alex Doolan was a notable absentee from the list of 18 centrally-contracted players released by Cricket Australia today.
The fact that the list, finalised by the national selection panel, has been pared back from last year’s 20 indicates the panel believes there are several players on the cusp of a contract upgrade but who have yet to firmly nail down their position in the national pecking order.
Chairman of selectors John Inverarity today confirmed that Doolan – who made his Test debut and played all three Tests during the recent tour of South Africa – along with Western Australian all-rounder Nathan Coulter-Nile were unlucky to have been overlooked in the round of contracts.
The fact that Marsh – who was recalled for the first two Tests in South Africa before being omitted when Shane Watson recovered from injury – and Hughes had been around the Test squad over recent years and had both had played at ODI level over the past year helped explain their inclusion.
The contracts are decided when the selectors rate the most valuable players across all three forms of the international game – Tests, ODI and T20 – and while Tests carry a greater weighting in the final arbitration it as much a recognition for the year past as it is prediction of who will perform in the future.
Of the players who were awarded initial or upgrade contracts over the past year but did not receive 2014-15 deals – Ed Cowan, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, Ben Hilfenhaus, Clint McKay, Matthew Wade, Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges, Coulter-Nile and Doolan – it is really only the latter two who could feel justifiably hard done by.
Fast bowler Cummins remains a key plank of future plans, but the fact that his rehabilitation from injury restricted him to Australia A and KFC Big Bash League appearances during the recent summer means he will be required to once more earn his stripes.
The resurgent form of Test vice-captain Brad Haddin is largely the reason for the exclusion of a second wicketkeeper in the contract list, given that the 36-year-old has played all three forms of international cricket over the past season.
Under the agreement, the minimum value of a CA contract for the 2014-15 season is $250,000 while any player awarded an ‘upgrade’ contract will earn a minimum of $210,000.
To receive an upgraded contract, players must earn 12 upgrade points that are awarded on the following basis - five points per Test appearance, two for an ODI and one for each T20 International.
Those players overlooked for central contracts will be eligible to be contracted by State Associations, with the first round of those deals to be finalised by 17 April and second round by 22 April.
The contracted players for 2014-15 with age-
