Sam Konstas and Beau Webster have earned firm places in Australia’s plans, while Matt Kuhnemann is now undisputed as Nathan Lyon’s number two in the national team’s spin bowling ranks, after all were handed central contracts on Tuesday.
Teenaged batter Konstas and seasoned all-rounder Webster were at the opposite ends of the experience scale, but both made important contributions to the Test series victory over India last summer.
Sam Konstas and Pat Cummins celebrate Australia’s victory in the fourth Test of last summer at the MCG.Credit: Getty Images
Konstas, 19, was chosen as a circuit-breaker for Australia at the top of the order on Boxing Day, when his daring innings of 60 helped set up a victory that broke a 1-1 tie in the Border-Gavaskar series.
Webster was then called up for the final Test in Sydney in place of a struggling Mitch Marsh, and showed great maturity with the bat, the ball and in the field to make himself very useful for the Australian cause in a low-scoring match.
Kuhnemann dominated Sri Lanka on spin-friendly pitches in Galle, before independent testing cleared his bowling action, which had been called into question by a highly-publicised report from the match officials in the second Test.
With the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s to be followed by three Tests in the West Indies and then a home Ashes summer, Australia’s adaptability will be stretched across a variety of conditions in the next 12 months.
Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis and the returning Cameron Green are among the batters competing for a couple of spots in Australia’s Test top six.
“Matt was outstanding once again in Sri Lanka and we believe he can play a key role across the next 18 months,” selection chair George Bailey said. “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.”
Spinner Todd Murphy lost his national deal from last year. Nathan McSweeney, who had the toughest possible first three India Tests against a rampant Jasprit Bumrah, was not offered a contract, and the West Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly was also missing despite making his international debuts in all three formats over the past year.
Cricket Australia contract list 2025-26: 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
More to come
