Why Cricket Australia will cut player contracts despite 20 Tests in 12 months
Australia is set to slash its contract list to be able to pay a premium to the likes of captain Pat Cummins and freewheeling deputy Travis Head ahead of an unrelenting schedule of 20 Test matches within 12 months.
Having offered as many as 23 central contracts in recent summers, Cricket Australia will reduce that number to 21 when selection chair George Bailey announces the list on Wednesday, with numerous white-ball players set to miss out in addition to the retired Usman Khawaja.
Glenn Maxwell will be among the names omitted, according to sources speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the contract announcement. Maxwell’s omission comes as CA attempts to offer attractive central deals to the Test and multi-format core of the national squad set to contest series against Bangladesh, South Africa, New Zealand, India and England during the contract period.
Sam Konstas is considered unlikely to be offered a new CA deal after missing selection for the Ashes series, while Test incumbent Jake Weatherald is likely to be offered his first full contract after earning one last summer by playing all five Ashes Tests. Players can still earn incremental contracts by playing at least three Tests or an equivalent number of white-ball games during the year.
Cummins and Head have fielded massive offers to walk away from international cricket in recent times, and last week the captain was frank in his depiction of the choices now faced by the players he leads.
“Obviously a big Ashes series, all the main guys want to play that series,” Cummins had said on Business of Sport podcast. “For example, during the Hundred this season we’ve got two Test matches against Bangladesh. All our guys that will play in that Test match have opted out of going to the Hundred auction but that’s not going to be the case forever.
“Some of our guys are saying no to half a million pounds for 20 days’ work to go and play those two Test matches against Bangladesh. I think it is a tension point. At the moment our guys are so keen to play for Australia that they’re happy to forgo that, but I don’t think we can accept that that is going to be the case forever.”
Numerous other specialist white-ball players will be missing, likely leaving only captain Mitchell Marsh, spinner Adam Zampa and slower ball maestro Nathan Ellis on the list.
By contrast, the Test pedigree of Brendan Doggett and Todd Murphy is set to be recognised with national deals. Doggett performed ably during the 4-1 home Ashes defeat of England after stepping in to cover for the injured Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, while Michael Neser also did a sterling job and will likewise get a contract. Sean Abbott, who was part of the Ashes squad until he too suffered a hamstring injury, is likely to be left out.
Murphy, Matt Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon will all be central to Australia’s plans to win a Test series in India for the first time since 2004. The Australians started poorly but learned much during the 2023 tour.
Having reconnected with his spin mentor Craig Howard, Murphy was a strong contributor for Victoria when conditions permitted during the Sheffield Shield season, and was part of Australia’s squad for the Melbourne and Sydney Ashes Tests after Lyon tore a hamstring.
The number of Test matches to be played will rise to 21 should Australia qualify for a third consecutive world Test championship final, to be hosted again in England ahead of the return Ashes bout against Ben Stokes’ team.
“Our biggest challenge is that we’re four years older off the back of 2023,” head coach Andrew McDonald told SEN on Tuesday. “That’s going to be our challenge, we do have a cohort that is ageing, how we manage them, but it’s not unlike any other sport where players are playing older and their experience is valued.
“We’re going to use a lot of players across that journey as well, we’re going to go deep into our stocks because of the way the schedule is. There will be a core of players who have an opportunity to do something great.”
Cummins has made it clear that he will continue to prioritise Test cricket, as does the CA contracting system.
“Definitely prioritise [certain] series but I’m still very keen to play all three formats,” Cummins said. “At the moment I think we can make it work. I love Test cricket. We normally have about 10 Test matches in a year so that’s what I kind of build my schedule around.
“IPL slots in there and there’s normally one or two ICC events each year as well. That [the next ODI World Cup] is another very important white-ball tournament that I’m desperate to be a part of. So that kind of builds out most of the calendar. That’s not going to move and then you kind of look to see what is going to slot in in between.
“Previously I’ve missed some ODI series because we’ve decided let’s have two or three months in the gym to try and have a forced rest and get strong for a big Ashes series or whatever is ahead of that. I’m already prioritising. Hopefully I’m in a cadence where I can keep doing that for three, four, five years and don’t have to forgo Test cricket.”
Fast bowler Jhye Richardson will be missing from the contract list after playing the two-day MCG Test last year.
Possible Cricket Australia contract list: Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc, Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Beau Webster, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Michael Neser, Brendan Doggett, Adam Zampa, Nathan Ellis, Josh Inglis, Jake Weatherald, Matt Kuhnemann, Todd Murphy.
Daniel Brettig is The Age’s chief cricket writer and the author of several books on cricket.Connect via X.