Australian Cricket Board (ACB) Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed today announced the twenty-five players to be contracted by the Board for the next twelve months. They are:

Michael Bevan
Greg Blewett
Nathan Bracken
Damien Fleming
Adam Gilchrist
Jason Gillespie
Ian Harvey
Matthew Hayden
Simon Katich
Justin Langer
Brett Lee
Shane Lee
Darren Lehmann
Martin Love
Damien Martyn
Stuart MacGill
Glenn McGrath
Colin Miller
Ashley Noffke
Ricky Ponting
Michael Slater
Andrew Symonds
Shane Warne
Mark Waugh
Steve Waugh

Queensland pair Martin Love and Ashley Noffke have been added to the list for the first time.

Andy Bichel and Nathan Bracken who were not in last year's original group of contracted players were added to the list throughout the 2000/2001 season.

Bichel, along with Matthew Elliott, Michael Hussey and Michael Kasprowicz will not be offered new contracts.

Mr Speed said that the selection panel of Trevor Hohns (Chairman), David Boon, Allan Border and Andrew Hilditch had nominated the 25 players based on two primary criteria:

the form of the players over the past 12 months; and their likelihood of Australian selection over the next 12 months taking into account the teams Australia will play, the balance of the side and the need to ensure the future development of the Test and one-day international teams.

"Choosing a group of 25 players was an extremely difficult task for the selection panel, but the group they have picked is clearly a talented pool from which to choose the Australian team," Mr Speed said.

"Like any selections, there will be people who are disappointed, but as was the case with Andy Bichel and Nathan Bracken last year, people from outside this squad can still be picked to play for Australia," he said.

Queensland batsman Martin Love, 27, who is currently playing county cricket in England for Durham, earned his ACB contract after a successful 2000-2001 season that brought him 910 first-class runs at an average of 75.83.

Ashley Noffke, who turned 24 yesterday, received a birthday present he is unlikely to forget after being told the news of his selection.

The man-of-the-match in Queensland's recent Pura Cup victory against Victoria took 15 wickets from his four first-class matches with the Bulls in season 2000/2001.

The right-arm fast-medium bowler and powerful lower order batsman said his selection as an ACB contracted player came as a shock, but something he had been working towards.

"I'm over the moon. It really was a surprise, given that there are so many top players competing for a position," Noffke said from Queensland today.

"I won't be forgetting this birthday in a hurry," he said.

The contracted players will be the core group from which players will be drawn for both Tests and one-day internationals in the year ahead, including the domestic Test and one-day international series.

The Memorandum of Understanding which outlines payments for contracted players is currently being negotiated between the ACB and the Australian Cricketers'Association.

Uncontracted players remain eligible for Australian selection and can be upgraded to an ACB contract if they win regular selection.

© 2001 Australian Cricket Board