Australia news – Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Agar lose CA deals while Xavier Bartlett earns full contract

Marcus Stoinis and Ashton Agar have lost their Cricket Australia central contracts for 2024-25 despite both being firmly in the mix to play in the upcoming T20 World Cup while fast bowler Xavier Bartlett has been rewarded with a deal for the first time having vaulted into international cricket late this summer.

Aaron Hardie, Matthew Short and Nathan Ellis have all been added to the 23-player list. Jhye Richardson retains his spot despite not playing international cricket since 2022 and appearing in just two Marsh Cup games, one Sheffield Shield match and eight BBL in the recent domestic summer due to a spate of injuries.

Michael Neser and Marcus Harris have both dropped off the list after not playing any Test cricket in the last contract period while Matt Renshaw also misses out on a deal despite being the spare batter selected in Australia’s squad for the last four Test matches.

The omission of Stoinis and Agar is noteworthy given they could both be involved in Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign. Tim David is another who is locked in for the World Cup but is not on the contract list. However, the T20 World Cup will be in June and falls under the previous contracting period.

The new contracts for 2024-25 do not come into effect until July 1. Australia do not play much T20 cricket in the 2024-25 contract year with only six matches scheduled. Australia’s focus is on the seven Tests scheduled against India at home (five) and Sri Lanka away (two), in the hopes of qualifying for the 2025 World Test Championship final, and the ODI Champions Trophy in Pakistan in February.

Chair of selectors George Bailey said the list was put together with an eye to the future.

“Matt, Aaron and Xavier have been extremely impressive in the early stages of their international careers,” he said. “Their performances and the way they have embraced the international stage has been exciting to watch.

“The panel believes they have strong futures and are deserved of their contracts as they work towards striving to become regulars in the Australian setup.”

Players not contracted for 2024-25 still have the opportunity to qualify for upgrades. Eight players, including Hardie, Ellis, David, Short, Matthew Wade, Tanveer Sangha, Jason Behrendorff and Spencer Johnson all qualified for upgrades last year by accruing enough points through selection. Players need 12 points for an upgrade. Five points are awarded for a Test match, two for an ODI and two for a T20I.

David Warner has also come off the contract list after announcing his retirement from international cricket following the T20I World Cup in June.

Australia men’s contracts 2024-25 Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Jhye Richardson, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa