O'Keefe, Faulkner miss out as CA announces contracted players

Troubled Test spinner Steve O'Keefe, injury-prone batsman Shaun Marsh and allrounder James Faulkner have missed out on Cricket Australia contracts for the 2017-18 season.

The news was better on Monday for fringe Test players Hilton Cartwright and Ashton Agar and young paceman Billy Stanlake, who have been awarded their first contracts.

Faulkner, Marsh, Peter Siddle, George Bailey, Joe Burns, Nathan Coulter-Nile, John Hastings, Peter Nevill and retiree Adam Voges are the players named on last year's initial contract list to miss out.

"We have selected 20 players for this year's contract list with a focus on players who we believe could play a part in an exciting 12 months of cricket, which includes the Ashes and an important away Test series against South Africa," head selector Trevor Hohns said in a statement on Monday.

"Consideration has also been given to some players who we believe could potentially play in all three formats for Australia."

O'Keefe's snub comes as he smarts from a $20,000 fine for inappropriate comments to a woman while drunk at an awards ceremony this month.

The 32-year-old was also banned from this year's one-day domestic tournament and has been forced to undergo counselling after taking 19 wickets in the recent four-Test series loss in India.

West Australian batsman Marsh, who's played 23 Tests, drops off the list after an injury-interrupted 2016-17 season, recovering to play all four Tests against India where he averaged just under 19.

The dumping of Faulkner came after the Tasmanian last week missed out on Australia's squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy in England.

Hohns said Cartwright and Agar had earned their contracts.

"Hilton has thoroughly earned his spot in the list this year. He was the second highest runs scorer in the Sheffield Shield last season and, when given his opportunity with the Test side last summer, he impressed," he said.

"Ashton is a talented young player who we consider offers a fantastic package with his batting, bowling and fielding, and someone who is capable of playing all forms of the game."

Queenslander Stanlake gets on the list after two one-day internationals and a Twenty20 international last year.

Recent India tourist and rising ODI star Marcus Stoinis and 2016 Test debutants Nic Maddinson, Joe Mennie, Jon Holland and Callum Ferguson also failed to win contracts.

CA 2017-18 contract list: Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

Meanwhile the following female players received contracts:

Kristen Beams, Alex Blackwell, Nicole Bolton, Lauren Cheatle, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington.

"The Australian women’s team has an incredibly exciting yet challenging 12 months ahead of them, with an imminent 50-over World Cup followed by an historic Ashes series beginning in October," national selector Shawn Flegler said.