Five new faces on CA contract list

Australia's bid for back-to-back World Cup titles dominates the 2018-19 national contract list announced today by Cricket Australia, with a heavy emphasis on the limited-overs formats.

A new-look 20-man list does not feature suspended players Steve Smith, David Warner or Cameron Bancroft, and while financial details were not made public Tim Paine is set to be the big winner as Australia's 46th Test captain.

2018-19 CA men's contracts: Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Matthew Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.

However Paine is unlikely to be gloveman in all three formats with rising star Alex Carey included on the national contract list for the first time.

Carey is joined by bowlers Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Andrew Tye and allrounder Marcus Stoinis as new faces on the full-year list.

There are six Western Australians on the list, with four from New South Wales to signal a shift in the powerbase of Australian cricket. Queensland, South Australia and Victoria each have three representatives, while Test captain Paine is the sole Tasmanian on the list.

All of them have played limited-overs cricket for Australia in the past six months, while Paine, Stoinis, Tye and Shaun Marsh had all been upgraded to national contracts in the previous year through appearances at the top level.

A notable omission from the 20-man list is leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who remains Australia's top-ranked slow-bowler in both limited-overs formats, according to the ICC rankings. Indeed, the top five ranked bowlers in T20 internationals are all leg-spinners.

Big-hitting BBL stars D'Arcy Short and Chris Lynn were also left off the intial contract list, but could earn upgrades through appearances, and remain in contention for Australia's limited-overs tours of the UK and Zimbabwe in June and July.

Zampa has fallen out of favour in Australia's limited-overs sides over the past eight months, leaving Ashton Agar and Nathan Lyon as the only specialist spinners on CA's contract list.

Also overlooked for national contracts are seam bowlers Jackson Bird and Chadd Sayers, the South Australian having earned his Baggy Green in Australia's last Test in Johannesburg.

Injury has seen Nathan Coulter-Nile and James Pattinson also drop off the list from last season, while Pattinson has previously revealed he is working towards a return in time to push for selection in the 2019 Ashes squad.

National Selector Trevor Hohns said he believed the squad is a "well-balanced list to represent Australia across all three formats".

"This period is set to include a significant amount of limited-overs cricket, including the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England and Wales," Hohns said in a statement.

"For that reason, there has been a bit of a focus in this contracting period on white-ball cricket, as we look ahead to trying to win back-to-back World Cups."

Matthew Renshaw is set to be Australia's first choice Test opening batsman having retained his spot on the contract list, although who will partner him when Australia next play Test cricket remains unclear. Australia's next Test engagement will be against Pakistan in the UAE in October.

Hohns detailed the attributes that had seen the new limited-overs players added.

"Andrew (Tye) is an experienced bowler, who has been able to translate strong domestic performances onto the international stage in white-ball cricket," Hohns said.

"Alex (Carey) is the second wicket-keeper in this squad, alongside Tim Paine. He is a promising young player who has had a strong domestic summer and performed well in his international opportunities to date with bat and gloves.

"Kane (Richardson) has been rewarded for strong performances in the Sheffield Shield and his efforts when selected for Australia in limited-overs cricket, where he continues to impress.

"Jhye (Richardson) is a young fast bowler who has been on the fringes of selection in all three forms of the game. He’s an exciting prospect who has played ODI and T20 cricket for Australia this summer, and was in the Test squad for the recent tour of South Africa.

"Marcus (Stoinis) is a player who has featured regularly for Australia in limited-overs cricket over the last 12 months, and is a player of promise who has impressed with his all-round capabilities on the international stage."

Players not awarded contracts as part of the initial squad of 20 can earn upgrades throughout the year by accruing 12 upgrade points. Players receive five points for a Test, two for an ODI and one for a T20I.

2018-19 CA men's contracts: Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Matthew Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.

OUT: Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Hilton Cartwright, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

IN: Alex Carey, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye