Cricket Australia contract announcements - live updates

Bird and O'Keefe should feel a little disappointed (although O'Keefe would be used to it by now). Bird at least will have his chance though I think.

Hughes is pretty good at pura cup but he keeps muffin it at the big show. I rekcon CA should stick with players who take their chances early on like Davey Warner - sure he's had a couple of little slip ups but who hasnt lol!

"Although, I wonder how Workcover applies to this. He received an on-the-job injury that stopped him being able to do his job. With any non-athlete that would be covered by workers compensation, I’d think that should apply to athletes just as much. So CA may be obliged to be heavily involved in managing his recovery from injury." The story of Nathan Bracken reveled that CA players are not compensated for injury, not eligible to go through the work cover process, and CA are not obliged to pay for his medical treatment. Poor guy was left with a permanent limp, had to sell his house and go into politics to make a living.

Couldn't agree more Paul. From the following list of names I want you to establish a common denominator: Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke. If you can't work it out I'll tell you the common denominator.... They all average(d) +50 in test cricket and they were all dropped early on in their careers. The obvious insight to be gained from this is that it takes time for players to know their own games well enough, and have the confidence to dominate test attacks. Hughes is simply the best domestic batsman in Australia, and with time and maturity he will have the mental fortitude to dominate test cricket like the aforementioned players.

It's a perfectly good analogy. Two young cricketers who dominated shield cricket, had multiple early goes at test cricket and then had people writing them off when they failed. It took Hayden until the age of 29/30 to figure it out at test level. Yet despite this, people are willing to write off Hughes at 24? You don't score the runs he's scored at his age (including a Shield final 100 at 19 and tons against a RSA attack featuring Steyn/Morkel at 20) without being able to bat a bit. Cricket isn't a game where you're the finished product at 24. Just ask Matt Hayden and Mike Hussey.

Matthew Hayden played one test in 93/4 (last minute inclusion v SA after injury to Mark Taylor) where he failed. Even if they'd wanted to pick him in the next game they couldn't have as he'd broken a thumb (I think) in that game. Debatable whether that should even count as a "go" at test cricket. More the sort of go given to Wayne Phillips or Chris Rogers (in his first incarnation). Hayden then played 6 tests in 96/7 - 3 v WI at home at a moderate average boosted by a century, 3 v SA away unsuccessfully. He came back into the side in 99/2000 for one test against NZ (one failure, one start) stayed in for the home series v WI where he had 3 decent games, but tailed off in the last 2 leading to a series average that was moderate at best although arguably a little misleadingly so). He then scraped into the touring team for India - and triumphed remaining a fixture until retiring. So that's arguably 2 goes at test cricket (3 at the outside). Not a terribly good analogy for Hughes. Perhaps if Hughes didn't look so terribly vulnerable against test bowling the number of hundreds one level down would count for more.

Whilst I agree with what you are saying Brett McKay by quoting these statistics. Does anyone think he should be in the test team if he can only bat ? As an all rounder I think he brings a lot. He gives the captain his golden arm but without the bowling he get left on the bench. Chris Kettlewell you are spot on. It does not matter if he gets CA contract officially. He would qualify after 2 months anyway cause he is selected in 3 formats that is what is funny about this. IMO if CA was smart he would not be on the official list give them to guys that won't qualify but you want to inspire them ? Just a thought. 12 points is not alot.

I said bit like "young Maxi", the one who made the SCG test squad vs SL 2012/13 on not much of a FC record. Who had heard of him outside Vic and CA? Older Maxi is a much improved article all round since becoming attached to the ODI, 20/20 set up. Hopes for a test career for Maxwell are high and I think that's why Finch get's a lot of opportunities, in the hope he can make the jump. Davy Warner was a NSW One Day wonder and only played about 9 FC matches before his test debut

Maxwell has s decent bowling average for first class cricket too. He's probably one of the first picked for Vic. Not comparable to Finch in anyway in first class cricket.

Hughes has 20 plus first class tons. They have to pick him and give him a go. If Watson can't bowl he should not play. For all his talent he never makes runs when it counts.

the likes of Bird and O'Keefe would have been included for me. How many left arm bowlers do the selectors want? Faulkner certainly hasnt lived up to his ego or the hype. Starc is a choker. Johnson in great form, but 33 years old. Glad Doherty, Wade, Coulter Nile, Cowan etc have been dropped. Usman will be back there for sure in the next few years. averged a solid 50 in the shield. Needs another good season next year to get back there I reckon. I want go into the Shaun Marsh pick...

the likes of Bird and O'Keefe would have been included for me. How many left arm bowlers do the selectors want? Faulkner certainly hasnt lived up to his ego or the hype. Starc is a choker. Johnson in great form, but 33 years old. Glad Doherty, Wade, Coulter Nile, Cowan etc have been dropped. Usman will be back there for sure in the next few years. averged a solid 50 in the shield. Needs another good season next year to get back there I reckon. I want go into the Shaun Marsh pick...

Bit like old maxi you say? You must be joking... Glenn Maxwell showed incredible talent in the final few Shield games for an overwise grossly underperforming Victorian team. Two centuries in a season is enough to show a FC talent. Let alone 2 in a match.... (practically anyway, in that match against NSW)

Jorji, I take it you were saying the same thing when Matt Hayden got his umpteenth go at test cricket in his late 20s? Show me another cricketer around Hughes' age in this country with the number of runs and centuries in first class cricket he has and you might be onto something.

@ Brett McKay : Doolan though a gritty 3, looked limited against SA pacies. Good thing is there is no other pace battery like SA among test nations. Bad thing is his limitations will have a negative effect on the team performance. marsh on the other hand IMO is like Stephen Donald of NZ rugger - very good at club level in spurts but not really consistent at international level. maybe becoz of injuries at wrong time and not getting in when in form. he did very well in IPL I remember but hardly got a game for OZ that period. IMO both opener and 3 are a rotating door, given the age of one guy and the numbers of the other. by trying to make Watson all rounder (and saying he shud bat at 6 and bowl) OZ is losing a good player at the top.

Hey Pope, Imagine that though-Warner/Finch opening. On a good day we'd be 0-276 at lunch!

I'm not sure that you'd call him cemented, but he's performed reasonably well in both formats that he's been selected for recently and as they have the World Cup coming up, I assume he's going to get more ODI time at least in the squads.

Considering he never gets selected why would you bring his name up as missing from a CA contract list?

Watson was good but he has had his day. Three I would not have put on contract were Watson, Bailey and Maxwell. In the T20 WC, Maxwell was the only one of these three to deserve a place. In the T20 he has two wickets only and no runs, Bailey wasn't much better. This is over a series not just one game. In ODIs Watson scored a century 6 months ago (not much more, another injury). In tests 4 hundreds in 52 tests. Bailey's ODI form has been OK but 3 fifties in two and a half years, please! I would have included Pattinson and Khawaja/Doolan or Cosgrove.

Oh and also he bats and bowls!! Not overated at all.