Cricket Australia contracts 2006/07

Cricket Australia has named their contracted list of 25 players for 2006-07. This does not make much of a difference for the fringe players who may or may not be on this list - they can still be selected for international cricket if they are not on the list - the biggest difference is how much money they earn. The players are ranked from 1 to 25, based on their performances in the previous season and their anticipated role in the coming season, and are paid according to their ranks. No. 1 can expect to earn a base retainer of about $620,000 and no. 25, $150,000.

The contracted list, by state:

New South Wales: Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Phil Jaques, Simon Katich, Brett Lee, Stuart MacGill, Glenn McGrath

Queensland: Matthew Hayden, Mitchell Johnson, Michael Kasprowicz, Andrew Symonds, Shane Watson

Western Australia: Adam Gilchrist, Brad Hogg, Michael Hussey, Justin Langer, Damien Martyn

South Australia: Daniel Cullen, Jason Gillespie, Shaun Tait

Victoria: Brad Hodge, Shane Warne

Tasmania: Ricky Ponting

9 New South Welshmen, 5 banana benders, 5 sand gropers, 3 South Australians, 2 Victorians, and 1 loner.

The more interesting list, is the one sorted by age.

Under 25
Daniel Cullen 22
Shaun Tait 23
Shane Watson 24
Mitchell Johnson 24

25 - 29
Michael Clarke 25
Phil Jaques 26
Brad Haddin 28
Nathan Bracken 28
Brett Lee 29

30 - 31
Stuart Clark 30
Michael Hussey 30
Simon Katich 30
Andrew Symonds 30
Jason Gillespie 31
Brad Hodge 31
Ricky Ponting 31

34+
Adam Gilchrist 34
Matthew Hayden 34
Michael Kasprowicz 34
Damien Martyn 34
Brad Hogg 35
Justin Langer 35
Stuart MacGill 35
Glenn McGrath 36
Shane Warne 36

The most worrying thing is our all time great wicketkeeper-batsman, our most successful opening partnership and two all time great bowlers are in this last group. I expect most of that group to retire within 2 or 3 years, when that time comes, I hope the relatively younger ones (Under 30s) will step up.