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| April 24, 2003 | Thursday | Safar 21, 1424 |
Rising Australian star Clarke earns ACB contract
SYDNEY, April 23: Rising batsman Michael Clarke on Wednesday was rewarded for his brilliant domestic season with an Australian Cricket Board playing contract, the ACB said.
The 22-year-old New South Wales right-hander is in the West Indies with the Australian Test team after breaking into the national one-day team earlier this year.
Clarke, who scored 763 runs in Sheffield Shield cricket last season, is looked on as part of the next generation of Australian Test cricketers.
“I’m absolutely thrilled that my hard work over the past few years is paying off,” Clarke said in an ACB statement.
“I’ve been happy with my form and with the fact that I was able to step up when given the opportunity to play for Australia A and then Australia.
“Hopefully, more opportunities will come my way next year, so I can continue to live the childhood dream of plying my trade in Australian colours.”
Disgraced leg-spinner Shane Warne, serving a 12-month ban for drugs, was also retained as one of the 25 contracted players, though he will only be paid part of his retainer on a pro-rata basis when his ban is lifted next February.
Captain Steve Waugh, who turns 38 in June and whose Test future was in the balance up to his brilliant century against England in the fifth Sydney Ashes Test last January, also received a new contract.
Brad Hogg, the West Australian allrounder who now plays in the Australian team in Warne’s absence, was handed his first full-year contract after being upgraded during the last 2002-03 season.
Queensland fast bowling prospect Ashley Noffke, also in the West Indies with the national team, was offered his second ACB contract as he is regarded as a potential understudy to Glenn McGrath.
Retired Australian batsman Mark Waugh, his NSW teammate Stuart Clark and West Australian Mike Hussey were dropped from the contracted players’ list.
The ACB said contracted players will be given a pay rise, with their minimum retainer up to A$125,000 (US75,000) and match fees increased by 10 percent to A$12,100 (US7,260) per Test and A$4,850 (US2,910) per One-day International.
The contracted players are paid a base retainer, which is levelled according to a player ranking system decided by the national selectors.
The ACB said each contracted player also receives match fees, tour fees and prizemoney for on-field success.
ACB chief executive James Sutherland said the selectors had a difficult task each season in nominating 25 players for the contracts.
“With an average age of 29, the list for this year boasts a good mix of youth and experience and presents a talented crop from which to choose the Australian team,” Sutherland said in the statement.
“Like the selection of any squad, some players will be disappointed, but they can be comforted in the knowledge that exclusion from the list does not end their chance of gaining Australian selection at any stage this year.”
Sutherland said the selectors nominate the players based on their form over the past 12 months and their likelihood of Australian selection over the next 12 months.
ACB contracted list (with ages): Michael Bevan (32), Andy Bichel (32), Nathan Bracken (25), Michael Clarke (22), Adam Gilchrist (31), Jason Gillespie (28), Ian Harvey (31), Nathan Hauritz (21), Matthew Hayden (31), Brad Hogg (32), Justin Langer (32), Brett Lee (26), Darren Lehmann (33), Martin Love (29), Stuart MacGill (32), Glenn McGrath (33), Jimmy Maher (29), Damien Martyn (31), Ashley Noffke (25), Ricky Ponting (28), Andrew Symonds (27), Shane Warne (33), Shane Watson (21), Stephen Waugh (37), Brad Williams (28).—AFP
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