Borrowing from the high-performance model that has underpinned Australia's on-field playing success, a newly expanded panel of national umpires will be ranked and remunerated on merit with the best-credentialled to be rewarded with a greater number of matches.
The new 18-member Cricket Australia Contracted Umpires Panel is enshrined in a freshly inked three-year Memorandum of Understanding finalised by CA and the representative body Umpire Leadership Group.
In the same manner as retainers paid to Australia's contracted players reflect their ranking among peers, so too will umpires be rated on their past performances and projected potential.
They will also earn bonuses if appointed to officiate in finals of the domestic, KFC BBL and Weber WBBL competitions.
And whereas umpiring appointments across Australia's domestic competitions have previously reflected a goal of evenly shared workloads, higher-ranked umpires are now likely to officiate in more matches as recognition of their performance.
Shawn Craig, one of four umpires on the CA International Panel announced today and a member of the Umpire Leadership Group, believes the new approach offers greater flexibility and enables a more strategic approach to umpiring appointments.
Craig cited the previous model whereby umpires were appointed to matches often weeks in advance, with last-minute changes only made in cases of illness or sudden unavailability.
However, with the expanded contract group of ranked umpires the respective merits of officials can be better aligned with the games they will be overseeing.
"It allows flexibility in changing appointments, and modifying appointments so that the most appropriate umpires get the most appropriate games," Craig told cricket.com.au.
"Let's say umpiring appointments have been made for the final home-and-away rounds of the Sheffield Shield competition, but then it turns out you have your best-ranked umpires down to officiate in a game that's effectively a dead rubber.
"Meanwhile, a corresponding top-of-the-table match might have umpires already appointed who perhaps might not be the highest ranked.
"This changes all that and allows the best umpires to be umpiring more and servicing cricket accordingly. We have moved to a ranking model that is based on performance which will reward performance.
"It doesn't alter the way we're assessed for performance, it just provides everyone with more flexibility and the ability for people to be more nimble."
The new Contracted Umpires Panel replaces the previous 12-person National Umpire Panel as well as the six-member Supplementary Umpire Panel, with members of the latter having previously received lower remuneration and fewer opportunities.
Craig said the expanded panel demonstrated the commitment of CA and the Umpires Leadership Group to the ongoing development and support of the game's match officials.
Two of Australia's longest-serving umpires – Bruce Oxenford and Paul Wilson – announced their retirements earlier this year, with Victoria's Daryl Brigham and New South Welshman Roberto Howard earning their maiden national contracts in 2024-25.
The Panel also includes female officials Claire Polosak and Eloise Sheridan who created history last summer when they became the first women umpires to officiate at Sheffield Shield level.
"The quality of the panel is an endorsement of the outstanding umpiring talent within Australian cricket," chair of the Cricket Australia Umpire Selection Panel Damien Mealey said.
"The selection panel is encouraged by the emergence of new umpires developing across all States and Territories, which has resulted in several first-class debuts placing match officiating in a very strong position moving forward.
"I would especially like to congratulate Daryl Brigham and Roberto Howard on their elevation to the Umpire Panel, which has been well earned after strong performances over a number of seasons."
Craig believes the increase in the number of nationally contracted umpires from 12 to 18 also offers greater incentive for budding officials to maintain involvement even though financial rewards are scant in the developmental years.
He noted that, on average, it takes an umpire around 15 years to progress through the ranks and state competitions before earning elevation to the national contract list.
"It's a long, long journey to get the rewards that come when you make the national panel," Craig said.
"There's no state-based contracts that offer financial reward until you get to the national system, so there's a lot of sacrifice and time away from home and family before then.
"The change to an 18-person Panel is exceptionally important, as is the fact we recognise the six umpires who were previously outside the contracted12 (National Umpire Panel members) as they should be.
"They are no longer part of a Supplementary Panel who are on lower retainers and a lower base with the chance of getting a few games.
"We're now ranked from 1-18 like the Australian and State players and that's better for the game, which is the number one priority.
"It's been really positively received, and I think it's a reward for longevity and umpiring."
2024-25 CA Contracted Umpires Panel
Gerard Abood, Daryl Brigham, Shawn Craig, Drew Crozier, Greg Davidson, Stephen Dionysius, Phil Gillespie, Mike Graham-Smith, Roberto Howard, Donovan Koch, Simon Lightbody, Sam Nogajski, Sharad Patel, Troy Penman, Claire Polosak, Eloise Sheridan, David Taylor, Ben Treloar
2023-24 CA International Panel Umpires (nominated to ICC as umpires for Men's International matches)
Shawn Craig, Phil Gillespie, Donovan Koch, Sam Nogajski