'Need a change in the contract system'

Cricket Australia (CA) former chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns has joined the chorus with his successor Andrew Hilditch for restructuring the contract system to a more performance-based system that better reflects the importance of Test cricket.

Hohns, whose tenure as chairman of selectors coincided with Australia's domination, said CA should hand out fewer national contracts than the 25. The CA is obliged to give 25 contracts under its deal with the players' union.

"We had plenty of depth then, but I'm not sure that 25 is the right number. I must admit I was always saying that (as chairman), but that was the deal, that was done, and we had to work with it," Hons said.

"To have 25 seems a lot to me, and I think the players' association and CA need to be a bit flexible on this, we're going through different times and I think it does need a little bit of tweaking," Hohns, who returned to cricket as Queensland's selection chairman, was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

The selection of uncapped Nathan Lyon, Michael Beer and Trent Copeland, from outside the contract list for the Test tour of Sri Lanka, prompted Hilditch to say that the present system should be changed.

Hohns said: "Where we go with it I don't know. You and I aren't going to change that, it's more a matter for CA and the players' association, I believe. There are several lines of thought: whether it should be more incentive-based for those that play get the pay, or whether Twenty20 cricket should have separate contracts, there's several lines of thought, and I'm sure they're going over all of those."