Disputed or not, it is the Australian cricket team that takes the credit of being the best in the world. They have brought home the ICC Cricket World Cup trophy for the ninth time, winning it six times in total, including a hat-trick in 1999-2007, and they have been the champions of T20 World Cup 2021. The Yellow Brigade has also won the Champions Trophy of ICC twice (2006 and 2009).
In addition to their white-ball victories, the Australians have also been instrumental in the Test series. In fact, Australia can be considered the heavyweight of cricket.
The relatively small but sporting nations have produced some of the best cricketers in the world and have always been the team to beat in the international cricket scenario. The Aussies have managed to form a team that has led the rankings every now and then through their individual and collective excellence.
And it is these individuals who get the rewards for their excellent performances from Cricket Australia (CA). The national board offers quite large contracts to its players every year.
Now, let us see the central contract list of Australia for the year 2025-26.
Australia’s Centrally Contracted Players List: 2025-26
Cricket Australia revealed the names of 23 players who would receive central contracts starting from March 2025 and going until February 2026.
CA Centrally Contracted Players
Xavier Bartlett, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster, Adam Zampa
As per the CA framework, a player outside of this roster can be brought in, or an already existing player can be made more valuable by the contract the number of games he plays for the country in that calendar year over all three formats.
For example, if a player participates in a Test match, he would score five points while two points and one point would be given for playing ODI and T20I formats respectively. When a player who is not part of the list reaches 12 points in a year, then he will be promoted or will qualify to be on the list.
Read Also :- Highest Individual Score in IPL Playoffs: Top Performances in Knockout Matches
Australian Cricketers’ Salary
Pat Cummins, the captain of the Australian Test and ODI teams, is leading the list of Australian cricket’s highest paid players with contracts. The salary of the pacemaker is AUD 2 million, which equals INR 11 crore, and the sum also has a bonus of $200K, which he is allowed to acquire as the leader of the national team.
The other two top earners in the current Australian cricket scenario are Josh Hazlewood and the pacer, who together draw $1.6 million in AUD. Pacer Mitchell Starc, vice-captain Steven Smith, and star batter Marnus Labuschagne earn AUD 1.4 million, $1.3 million, and $1.2 million respectively.
Moreover, a player selected for the national team is entitled to receive match fees according to the format that he plays. If the player is in the Australian Test squad, he will receive a match fee of AUD 20,000. And the cricketers who are in the ODI and T20I squads will get the match fees of $15,000 and $10,000, respectively.
Top Australian Players And Their Salary
| Player Name | Retainer Fees | Test Fees | ODI Fees | T20I Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Cummins | $2 million | $20,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 |
| Josh Hazlewood | $1.6 million | $20,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 |
| Mitchell Starc | $1.4 million | $20,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 |
| Steve Smith | $1.3 million | $20,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 |
| Marnus Labuschagne | $1.2 million | $20,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 |
| Nathan Lyon | $1.1 million | $20,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 |
