The list, announced annually, recognises 20 male and 15 female players who receive national contracts, although players who miss out are not ruled out of the selection frame and often receive upgrade during the season.
However, the central contract list is an important signal of intention from the Australian selectors, with Usman Khawaja the big name the miss out from last year’s list.
National Selector Trevor Hohns said: “If I’m looking at Test cricket, Usman’s form in Sheffield Shield cricket didn’t demand he was chosen for Australia. I think that’s fair.
“Uzzie was the hardest (decision) because he was ranked in two of the three formats, but just fell out of the bottom of the list.
“We know Usman is a fabulous player. I don’t have any doubts he’ll accept the challenge to get back into the Australian side.
“He’s been pretty good player for Australia but unfortunately the last 12 months hasn’t been his best.”
Others to also miss out on the 20-member list are Nathan Coulter-Nile, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris, Shaun Marsh and Marcus Stoinis, while Peter Siddle has retired and Ashton Turner has been omitted after receiving a mid-year upgrade.
Hohns stressed that missing out on the list did not mean a player’s time in the national team was over.
“As Mitch Marsh and Matthew Wade have proven, there are always plenty of opportunities for those who have missed out to be re-selected by performing consistently at domestic level,” Hohns said.
“As is always the case there are unlucky omissions but, however, because you are not on the list does not mean you cannot be selected to represent Australia.”
Hohns said performances across the previous 12 months played a key role in selections, as well as their potential in the near future, highlighted by Labuschagne’s inclusion having shot into the side during the 2019 Ashes before scoring four centuries in the Australian Test summer.
“We feel all deserve their inclusion recognising the performances of those players in the past 12 months and, as importantly, what they can offer in the next 12 months,” he said.
“Marnus’s rise has been meteoric and well documented.”