Cricket Australia (CA) released a list of 23 players for the annual central contracts for 2025-26 with three new additions. Most of the high-profile names were retained apart from T20 specialists Tim David and Marcus Stoinis, who continued to play the format without the contract last year too.
Cricket Australia (CA) released the list of 23 men’s centrally contracted players for the 2025-26 season with three new inclusions. Sam Konstas and Beau Webster, who both made their debuts during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and are likely to become a regular part of the Australian side were rewarded and so did the left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, who had a breakout series in Sri Lanka.
The trio replaced Sean Abbott, who was part of the World Cup 2023 squad, Aaron Hardie, who played in the Champions Trophy 2025 and Todd Murphy, part of the side for Sri Lanka tour, in the list with Kuhnemann likely to be Nathan Lyon‘s understudy in the spin department.
“Matt (Kuhnemann) was outstanding once again in Sri Lanka and we believe he can play a key role across the next 18 months,” said chief selector Goerge Bailey in a CA statement.
“In Beau’s case, he proved more than comfortable at Test level with bat and ball, adds an additional dimension in the field and to the balance of the side. With Cameron Green and Mitch Marsh returning there will be welcome and healthy competition for places for the World Test Championship and West Indies tours.
“In Sam, we see promising upside in a young player who will continue to develop at first-class level and in the international environment,” Bailey added.
Cricket Australia contracted men’s players 2025-26:
- Xavier Bartlett (QLD/Gold Coast Cricket Club)
- Scott Boland (VIC/Frankston Peninsula Cricket Club)
- Alex Carey (SA/Glenelg Cricket Club)
- Pat Cummins (NSW/Penrith Cricket Club)
- Nathan Ellis (TAS/Lindisfarne Cricket Club)
- Cameron Green (WA/Subiaco-Floreat Cricket Club)
- Josh Hazlewood (NSW/St George Cricket Club)
- Travis Head (SA/Tea Tree Gully Cricket Club)
- Josh Inglis (WA/Joondalup Cricket Club)
- Usman Khawaja (QLD/Valley District Cricket Club)
- Sam Konstas (NSW/ Sutherland District Cricket Club)
- Matthew Kuhnemann (TAS/Clarence Cricket Club)
- Marnus Labuschagne (QLD/Redlands Cricket Club)
- Nathan Lyon (NSW/Northern Districts Cricket Club)
- Mitchell Marsh (WA/Fremantle Cricket Club)
- Glenn Maxwell (VIC/Fitzroy Doncaster Cricket Club)
- Lance Morris (WA/Scarborough Cricket Club)
- Jhye Richardson (WA/Fremantle Cricket Club)
- Matt Short ((VIC/Northcote Cricket Club)
- Steve Smith (NSW/Sutherland Cricket Club)
- Mitchell Starc (NSW/Manly Warringah Cricket Club)
- Beau Webster (TAS/ Kingborough Cricket Club)
- Adam Zampa (NSW/Sutherland Cricket Club)
Cooper Connolly and Nathan McSweeney, who both made Test debuts during the last four months and earned contract upgrades in 2024-25 were notable absentees. Jake Fraser-McGurk, Spencer Johnson, Tanveer Sangha and Ben Dwarshuis were among other names, who have played white-ball cricket throughout last year but missed out on contracts. Tim David and Marcus Stoinis, the two T20 specialists, continued to be omitted from the contracts but played the format through the year and are expected to do so.
The non-contracted players can get their contracts back if they play enough international matches throughout the year.
