Mark Cosgrove in action for English country side Leicestershire. PA photo

Injury-plagued pace bowler Gary Putland also has been dropped off SA’s contracted player list, announced on Friday.

Cosgrove, Cooper and Putland will still be available for selection for the Redbacks, who were runners-up in the recent Sheffield Shield final.

“It’s never easy to see experienced players go, especially when they have been an important part of the team for such a long time,” SA’s high performance manager Tim Nielsen said in a statement.

“But we’re confident we still have a good balance of youth and experience in our side.

“We have no doubt that all of the players who missed out on a contract will still be in selection plans if they are performing for their respective (grade) clubs.”

Cosgrove, 31, and Cooper, 29, struggled for runs in the domestic summer while the career of Putland, 30, has stalled because of various soft-tissue injuries.

The trio have been replaced on SA’s contracted list by a batch of younger players including Alex Carey and Jake Weatherald, who broke into the Redbacks’ Shield side mid-season.

AAP

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