Teenager Sam Konstas earns first Cricket Australia contract

Teenager Sam Konstas has earned his first Cricket Australia contract for the 2025-26 season following a standout performance in his Boxing Day Test debut against India, where he scored 60 runs. He joins spinner Matt Kuhnemann and allrounder Beau Webster as new additions to the central contracts list, which now includes 23 players. Kuhnemann has made a significant impact in his recent Tests, while Webster has retained his contract after excelling in the Border-Gavaskar series. Selection chief George Bailey expressed confidence in Konstas's potential and indicated that the return of players like Cameron Green and Mitch Marsh will foster healthy competition ahead of upcoming tours. Notably, several players, including Sean Abbott and Todd Murphy, were not retained for the new season. The selectors emphasize the importance of performance in international matches for contract status going forward.