Fringe Test batsmen Shaun Marsh and Phil Hughes have been rewarded with contracts while incumbent Test No.3 Alex Doolan was a notable absentee from the list of 18 centrally-contracted players released by Cricket Australia today.

The fact that the list, finalised by the national selection panel, has been pared back from last year’s 20 indicates the panel believes there are several players on the cusp of a contract upgrade but who have yet to firmly nail down their position in the national pecking order.

Quick Single: Contracted players by the numbers

Chairman of selectors John Inverarity today confirmed that Doolan – who made his Test debut and played all three Tests during the recent tour of South Africa – along with Western Australian all-rounder Nathan Coulter-Nile were unlucky to have been overlooked in the round of contracts.

“They were the two who would be the closest,” Inverarity said today.

“Just two months ago, Alex hadn’t played for Australia so his time is yet to come.

“He’s very much to the fore in our thinking, he batted at No.3 in the three Tests in South Africa and did well.

“We’ll be looking to him, he’s the incumbent number three so it’s up to him to perform well and if he does he’ll be upgraded.

“This year, 18 (players) was deemed to be the natural cut-off point, and those who are on the brink and just outside will have the opportunity – if they earn selection – of being upgraded.

“It’s up to them, those who are outside, to perform well, win selection and be upgraded.”

The fact that Marsh – who was recalled for the first two Tests in South Africa before being omitted when Shane Watson recovered from injury – and Hughes had been around the Test squad over recent years and had both had played at ODI level over the past year helped explain their inclusion.

The contracts are decided when the selectors rate the most valuable players across all three forms of the international game – Tests, ODI and T20 – and while Tests carry a greater weighting in the final arbitration it as much a recognition for the year past as it is prediction of who will perform in the future.

“Shaun Marsh and Phil Hughes are on the list, and of course it’s all three formats so they had points from ODI cricket – both Phil and Shaun played during the last 12 months so that would have put them ahead of Alex Doolan on the list,” Inverarity said.

Of the players who were awarded initial or upgrade contracts over the past year but did not receive 2014-15 deals – Ed Cowan, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, Ben Hilfenhaus, Clint McKay, Matthew Wade, Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges, Coulter-Nile and Doolan – it is really only the latter two who could feel justifiably hard done by.

Fast bowler Cummins remains a key plank of future plans, but the fact that his rehabilitation from injury restricted him to Australia A and KFC Big Bash League appearances during the recent summer means he will be required to once more earn his stripes.

“Pat hasn’t played red ball cricket for quite some time (but) he’s very much to the fore of our thinking,” Inverarity said.

“But he’ll just have to wait his time.

“His bowling (of late) in practice and in the Big Bash League has been impressive and we’re hoping that he comes (back) on to the scene soon.

“If he does, he’ll then be pushing for an Australian contract and – if it’s during the season – for an upgrade.”

The resurgent form of Test vice-captain Brad Haddin is largely the reason for the exclusion of a second wicketkeeper in the contract list, given that the 36-year-old has played all three forms of international cricket over the past season.

But Inverarity pointed to the strength of 'keeper-batsmen stocks at domestic level – citing all six states’ incumbent 'keepers (including Peter Nevill who is Haddin’s understudy in New South Wales) – as evidence that the cupboard is full should injury or form failure afflict the incumbent.

Inverarity said the same for the nation’s spin bowling stocks, and claimed that Doherty remained in the selectors’ thinking even though he appeared to have forfeited his place as first-choice limited-overs spinner when veteran Brad Hogg and promising youngster James Muirhead were preferred for the current World T20 tournament in Bangladesh.

Under the current Memorandum of Understanding between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association, the national selectors have the discretion to centrally contract between 17 and 20 players in the initial round of contracts.

Under the agreement, the minimum value of a CA contract for the 2014-15 season is $250,000 while any player awarded an ‘upgrade’ contract will earn a minimum of $210,000.

To receive an upgraded contract, players must earn 12 upgrade points that are awarded on the following basis - five points per Test appearance, two for an ODI and one for each T20 International.

Those players overlooked for central contracts will be eligible to be contracted by State Associations, with the first round of those deals to be finalised by 17 April and second round by 22 April.

The contracted players for 2014-15 (in alphabetical order):