Australia’s men’s national cricket setup remains one of the world’s most competitive and deep pools of talent. Cricket Australia announced its 23-player contracted list for the 2025–26 season, blending experienced stars with promising newcomers like Sam Konstas and Matthew Kuhnemann. This curated list reflects selection priorities heading into the World Test Championship final and the 2025–26 home summer (including the Ashes).
The squad is built around leaders such as Pat Cummins (pace and captaincy), Steve Smith (classy middle-order runs), and Mitch Starc (left-arm pace and lethal Yorkers). The spin department is anchored by Nathan Lyon in Tests and Adam Zampa in the white-ball formats, while the batting depth features the likes of Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell — a combination offering both solidity and explosiveness.
Notable inclusions for 2025–26 are Konstas (a young, aggressive opener), Beau Webster (batting all-rounder), and Kuhnemann (left-arm spin), all rewarded for strong international / domestic form. The contracted group also provides flexible options across formats — Alex Carey and Josh Inglis for keeping duties, several seamers (Hazlewood, Boland, Starc, Ellis, Morris) for varied conditions, and versatile hitters (Maxwell, Short, Marsh).
Why this matters for fans & selectors: central contracts signal who Cricket Australia expects to invest in for the coming 12–18 months. While match squads vary by format and opposition, the contract list is the best snapshot of Australia’s core group heading into major fixtures. For the latest series squads and match-day XIs, check official Cricket Australia announcements and reputable outlets like ESPNcricinfo.
⭐ Current Australian Cricketers
1. Pat Cummins (C) – Fast Bowler
Australia’s all-format captain known for his express pace, accuracy, and match-winning spells. Led Australia to the 2023 ODI World Cup title.
2. David Warner – Opening Batter
Aggressive left-handed opener famous for his explosive starts in Test, ODI, and T20 formats. One of Australia’s top run-scorers.
3. Steve Smith – Batter
Modern-day great known for his unique batting technique and incredible consistency in Test cricket.
4. Marnus Labuschagne – Batter
Technically strong and reliable batter, known for long innings and solid temperament in Tests.
5. Travis Head – Batter
Dynamic left-handed batter known for his counter-attacking style; Player of the Match in the 2023 ODI World Cup final.
6. Mitchell Starc – Fast Bowler
Left-arm quick famous for swinging yorkers and high pace; one of the best ODI bowlers in the world.
7. Josh Hazlewood – Fast Bowler
Line-and-length specialist often compared to Glenn McGrath; extremely effective in all formats.
8. Glenn Maxwell – All-Rounder
Explosive power-hitter and handy off-spinner. Known for outrageous T20 innings and match-defining knocks.
9. Cameron Green – All-Rounder
Tall pace-bowling all-rounder with solid batting technique and promising future.
10. Adam Zampa – Leg Spinner
Australia’s leading white-ball spinner; known for accuracy and wicket-taking ability in ODIs and T20Is.
11. Alex Carey – Wicketkeeper-Batter
Reliable wicketkeeper with calm middle-order batting style, especially in ODIs.
12. Marcus Stoinis – All-Rounder
Big-hitting middle-order batter and medium-fast bowler with match-winning ability in T20Is.
13. Mitchell Marsh – All-Rounder
Explosive batter and handy medium pacer; key performer in Australia’s T20 World Cup win.
14. Usman Khawaja – Opening Batter
Elegant left-handed Test opener known for his consistency and calm batting style.
15. Nathan Lyon – Off Spinner
One of Australia’s greatest Test spinners known for accuracy, control, and durability.
🏆 Legendary Australian Cricketers
1. Ricky Ponting
One of the greatest captains ever; powerful batter and three-time World Cup winner.
2. Shane Warne
Legendary leg-spinner regarded as one of the best bowlers in cricket history.
3. Glenn McGrath
Master of seam bowling, famous for his impeccable control and consistency.
4. Adam Gilchrist
Revolutionary wicketkeeper-batter who redefined aggressive opening in limited-overs cricket.
5. Brett Lee
Express fast bowler known for raw pace, reverse swing, and match-winning spells.
6. Michael Clarke
Stylish batter and World Cup-winning captain in 2015.
7. Matthew Hayden
Dominant opening batter known for his powerful stroke play and record-breaking innings.
8. Shane Watson
All-rounder with strong batting and medium-fast bowling; key in ODI and T20 cricket.
9. Allan Border
Stabilized Australian cricket in the 1980s; known for solid batting and leadership.
10. Steve Waugh
One of Australia’s toughest captains; known for grit and match-winning performances.
) Full current Australia squad (central contracts — 2025–26)
Cricket Australia announced a 23-player men’s contracted list for 2025–26; the 23 players below are the centrally contracted group. Cricket Australia+1
| # | Player | Role (short) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pat Cummins | Fast bowler — captain in all formats when available; leader with pace and control. |
| 2 | Steve Smith | Top-order batter — world-class Test specialist with exceptional consistency. |
| 3 | Marnus Labuschagne | Middle-order batter — gritty, dependable Test run-scorer. |
| 4 | Travis Head | Left-handed batter — aggressive stroke-maker across formats. |
| 5 | Mitchell Starc | Left-arm fast bowler — lethal yorkers and swing, white-ball strike weapon. |
| 6 | Josh Hazlewood | Right-arm fast bowler — line-and-length maestro in Tests and ODIs. |
| 7 | Nathan Lyon | Off-spinner — Australia’s lead Test spinner and high-wicket taker. |
| 8 | Glenn Maxwell | All-rounder — explosive batter and part-time off/spin option in white ball. |
| 9 | Mitchell Marsh | All-rounder — powerful middle-order bat and medium-pace bowling option. |
| 10 | Cameron Green | All-rounder — tall batting all-rounder who bowls pace and builds innings. |
| 11 | Alex Carey | Wicketkeeper-batter — steady keeper and composed middle-order batter. |
| 12 | Josh Inglis | Wicketkeeper-batter — wicketkeeping backup with hard-hitting ability. |
| 13 | Adam Zampa | Leg-spin bowler — main white-ball spinner, pressure wicket-taker. |
| 14 | Matthew Short | Middle-order batter / all-rounder — big-hitting limited-overs option. |
| 15 | Xavier Bartlett | Fast-medium bowler — emerging seam option in white-ball cricket. |
| 16 | Nathan Ellis | Fast bowler — death-overs specialist with good variations. |
| 17 | Lance Morris | Fast bowler — raw pace and an X-factor quick option. |
| 18 | Scott Boland | Fast bowler — strong red-ball performer, brings bounce and accuracy. |
| 19 | Jhye Richardson | Fast bowler — quick swing and seam for Tests/white-ball. |
| 20 | Beau Webster | All-rounder — batting all-rounder offering off-spin and depth. |
| 21 | Sam Konstas | Opener / batter — young, aggressive top-order prospect (maiden contract). |
| 22 | Matthew Kuhnemann | Left-arm orthodox spinner — promising Test spinner (maiden contract). |
| 23 | Matt Short / (alternate) — note | Some lists show Matt Short included (all-round white-ball option). |
| Player | Role | Short description |
|---|---|---|
| Pat Cummins | Captain / Fast bowler | Australia’s leader; pace, control, and captaincy. |
| Steve Smith | Batter | Modern Test great — consistency and unorthodox technique. |
| Marnus Labuschagne | Batter | Reliable middle-order run accumulator. |
| Travis Head | Batter | Aggressive left-handed strokeplayer. |
| Mitchell Starc | Fast bowler | Yorker specialist with left-arm pace and swing. |
| Josh Hazlewood | Fast bowler | Classic line-and-length seamer. |
| Nathan Lyon | Spinner | Prolific off-spinner in Tests. |
| Glenn Maxwell | All-rounder | Explosive white-ball batter; part-time bowling. |
| Mitchell Marsh | All-rounder | Power-hitter and medium-pace seam option. |
| Cameron Green | All-rounder | Batting all-rounder who bowls pace. |
| Alex Carey | WK-Batter | Reliable gloveman and calm batter. |
| Josh Inglis | WK-Batter | Backup keeper & aggressive batter. |
| Adam Zampa | Spinner | Leg-spinner; white-ball wicket-taker. |
| Matthew Short | All-rounder | Big-hitting middle-order/finish role. |
| Xavier Bartlett | Bowler | Emerging seam option. |
| Nathan Ellis | Bowler | Death overs specialist. |
| Lance Morris | Bowler | Raw pace quick. |
| Scott Boland | Bowler | Red-ball specialist. |
| Jhye Richardson | Bowler | Swing/pace option. |
| Beau Webster | All-rounder | Utility batter and off-spin option. |
| Sam Konstas | Batter | Young opener; maiden contract. |
| Matthew Kuhnemann | Spinner | Left-arm orthodox; strong recent form. |
| Matt Short* | All-rounder | (see note) |
