Australia to review its old system for contracts
MELBOURNE: Cricket Australia has pledged to review its outdated system for awarding national contracts to reflect the growth of Twenty20 and the changing priorities of international cricketers, as reports indicate that ace pacer Brett Lee will take a pay cut and Twenty20 specialist David Warner might miss out on the contract.
At present it works against players such as Warner, who will be one of the first men picked in Australia"s quest for World Twenty20 redemption in the Caribbean this month but he is unlikely to secure a high enough ranking for a contract.
Test players are given a weighting of 1.25 ranking points, but there are no such guidelines for determining the worth of Twenty20 specialists within the limited-overs ranking, other than the selectors using their discretion to weigh up performances over the past 12 months and priorities for the coming year.
Lee"s place in the pecking order will suffer because of his recent decision to retire from Test cricket, although the fast bowling star"s inclusion in the 15-man squad for the World Twenty20, and the strong one-day form, suggests he will retain a limited-overs ranking and be offered a reduced contract.
