Leg Buys cricket column: Fresh names on CA contract list, veterans in trouble, state merry-go-round

One of the country’s most exciting pacemen has secured his first Cricket Australia contract while a group of veterans has missed out.

Queensland quick Xavier Bartlett has been rewarded for his outstanding entrance into international cricket with a maiden Cricket Australia central contract, as earlier reported in this column

Alongside Bartlett, Victoria’s Matt Short and West Australia’s Aaron Hardie have also been included, while veterans Marcus Stoinis and Michael Neser, and fringe white-ball spinner Ashton Agar have all fallen off the list.

Leg Buys: Star seamer set to be rewarded after stunning debut

Xavier Bartlett’s outstanding entrance into international cricket is set to parlay into a maiden Cricket Australia central contract.

All indications are that the Queensland paceman will feature on a regenerated CA national list for the 2024-25 season, one that will also include Victoria’s Matt Short and likely West Australian all-rounder Aaron Hardie.

CA is in the process of finalising its contract list for next season. Under the memorandum of understanding signed last year, CA can offer anywhere between 20 and 24 male central contracts.

The governing body used the full allotment of 24 last year, although it is no guarantee to fill every spot this time around.

David Warner will come off the list following his staggered international retirement, while longtime understudy Marcus Harris is guaranteed to lose his place.

Veterans Marcus Stoinis and Michael Neser, and fringe white-ball spinner Ashton Agar, are the others being tipped by industry sources to fall from the list. There remains intrigue too around injury-prone paceman Jhye Richardson.

Xavier Bartlett too 4-17 in his international debut. Picture: AFP

Bulls and Brisbane Heat seamer Bartlett, 25, who starred on debut against the West Indies in February, is an almost certain addition, as are Vics and Adelaide Strikers blaster Short and WA’s Hardie, both of whom played across both international white-ball formats this season.

Specialist white-ball paceman Nathan Ellis is also in contention.

But emerging leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha is set to miss out despite a promising start to his international career, while sources are also expecting left-arm speedster Spencer Johnson to be pipped, even after earning a lucrative Indian Premier League contract.

Sources have also cast doubt over whether Matt Renshaw will receive a deal despite being picked as the spare batter for Australia’s recent Test series against New Zealand and the West Indies.

It’s expected the national selection panel will bypass Renshaw, Harris and Cam Bancroft, effectively leaving the race wide open to be next Test batting cab off the rank ahead of the Aussies’ next red-ball assignment against India in late November.

Todd Murphy was impressive for Australia in his debut series against India last year. Picture: Getty Images

Off-spinner Todd Murphy is set to hold onto his spot despite a middling Sheffield Shield season with Victoria, as is Scott Boland despite being forced to carry the drinks for the entire Test season.

Several players, including Adam Zampa, could also be in line for two-year deals, joining a group of players already on multi-year contracts as part of a mechanism to push back against the threat of franchise T20 raiders.

Players can be selected for international cricket from outside the central list and earn upgrades if they tip over a points threshold.

Short, Hardie, Ellis and T20 gun Tim David all triggered the upgrade clause over the past 12 months.

It’s looking very likely that Matt Kuhnemann will make the move down to Tasmania. Picture: Getty Images

STATE OF AFFAIRS

The central contracts are critical in allowing states to plan their moves, given centrally contracted players do not count towards the domestic salary cap.

As revealed by this column, Test spinner Matt Kuhnemann is being courted by Tasmania and will almost certainly move to the Apple Isle from Queensland.

Likewise one-time wunderkind Jason Sangha is poised for a move to South Australia after his career stagnated in NSW.

The Blues remain heavily linked to Victorian top order jet and former Test batter Nic Maddinson, who joined the Vics after leaving NSW in 2019.

Nic Maddinson was great in his return from injury for Victoria. Picture: Getty Images

NSW veteran Daniel Hughes’ future is similarly up in the air despite another stellar white-ball campaign, while there remains noise around ex-Test batter Kurtis Patterson after he fell out of favour in NSW.

While it is widely expected that wicket-keeper batsman Josh Philippe will make the move from WA to NSW.

Queensland paceman Will Prestwidge is another being linked with a move to Tassie.

Injury-riddled paceman David Grant is expected to drop off South Australia’s list, while Joe Burns’ time with the Bulls is done.

Will Pucovski’s future in Victoria and in cricket more generally hangs in the balance with the one-Test opener undergoing a medical testing process following his latest concussion earlier in the month, while former Shield-winning captain Travis Dean is likely to pull the pin.

Nathan McSweeney will remain with the Redbacks despite interest from Queensland in luring the rising star back to the Sunshine State.

Leg Buys is Code Sports’ regular column looking at player and staff movement in cricket, particularly through an Australian prism.

Originally published as Leg Buys cricket column: Fresh names on CA contract list, veterans in trouble, state merry-go-round