SYDNEY: Cricket Australia has released its contract list for 2021-22, confirming Will Pucovski and Australian wicketkeeper Matthew Wade have gone unsigned despite being likely to feature in the upcoming season.
Travis Head, Joe Burns, Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis and Wade were not retained by CA, while a host of incumbent players across Australia’s three teams were also snubbed, including Marcus Harris and Moises Henriques.
CA announced a 17-strong list of contracted players for an action-packed 2020-21 season, which includes the Twenty20 World Cup in India and the home Ashes series against England around the New Year.
All-rounder Cameron Green, who made his Test debut in Adelaide last December in Australia’s series against India, has been rewarded with a national contract. However, Pucovski, widely considered the leading contender to open the batting, was overlooked.
The group includes just three specialist Test batters – David Warner, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne – with national selector Trevor Hohns saying he wants competition from outside those contracted.
The axing of Wade suggests he will struggle to resume his Test career after he was also dropped from the squad for the postponed tour of South Africa in February. Head was dropped after two Tests against India when the selectors opted to stick with Wade amid a batting reshuffle when Pucovski and Warner both returned from injury at the SCG.
Both Green and Pucovski made their debuts last summer, but it’s only the allrounder who makes the list. Green played all four Tests against India while Pucovski made his debut in Sydney but was then sidelined by a shoulder injury.
Contracts list: Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Tim Paine, James Pattinson, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Adam Zampa
