If a player does not have a Cricket Australia contract it doesn't mean they are unable to represent the team at the elite level. State players can be called up at any time to represent Australian cricket in any format.
However contracted players have additional perks and general preference in Test and One Day International Cricket.
Michael Clarke (NSW), Captain, Right hand batsman, CRICINFO profile
On debut he scored a century and despite being dropped a few seasons later, he redeveloped his game and is one of the finest modern Test batsman. With his maturity and responsibilities as Vice-Captain taken into the Test cricket arena, he has lost his flash element in the limited overs game, but can still be a vital contributor as he was in our World Cup campaign in 2007. He was dubbed the 'future Captain' when he was still a rookie with New South Wales.
The Baggy Green fanatics are indeed proud to see what an excellent start he has made to the Captaincy role, notably his incredible triple century (329*) at the 100th SCG Test match against India for the Border-Gavaskar series in January 2012. He became the highest run scorer at the ground where it all began for him.
He has also become the player to score the most runs for Australia in a calendar year for Test cricket, boosted by his back-to-back double centuries against South Africa.
You can follow him on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MClarke23
George Bailey (TAS), Right hand batsman, CRICINFO profile
A deceptive batsman, he has the ability to change the course of a game within just a handful of deliveries. He demonstrated this against the West Indies when he gave us a small glimmer of hope as we were beaten in the semi-final of the ICC World T20 2012. It will be great to see him showcase this hard hitting ability far more often in the future.
Patrick Cummins (NSW), Right arm fast bowler, CRICINFO profile
Having only played a handful on First Class and List A games, being called into the ODI team was a massive opportunity and shock for Patrick. To then be kept in South Africa to be a member of the Test Squad was something extra special.
He became the second youngest debutant for the Baggy Greens during the 2nd Test against the Proteas and took 7 wickets, including a splendid haul of 6-79.
To top it off he hit the winning runs in the game with a Man-of-the-match award.
Tall, focused and very fast, he has the gift to maintain his speed with consistency. The true test will come at the elite level and at 18 years of age if he fight off the expected fast bowler back strains, he will adapt.
You can follow him on Twitter: @93Cummins
Xavier Doherty (TAS), Left arm orthodox spin bowler, CRICINFO profile
His test match debut didn't evolve into anything special as the selectors lost total control of the Australian team but fortunately Xavier was able to focus his energy on his limited overs game and he made regular appearances during the summer of 2011. Injury ruined his chances of appearing at the World Cup where he would have been a handful in Indian conditions, but he was guaranteed to be trusted as the main limited overs specialist spinner with a fresh contract handed to him.
James Faulker (TAS), All-rounder, CRICINFO profile
Despite being identified as a T20 cricketer with ODI potential, he is also making strides as a viable candidate to play Test cricket for Australia. His batting abilities were worth taking note of during the Sheffield Shield season, especially in the final when he just missed out on a century and bowled especially well.
You can follow him on Twitter: @FaulknerC25
Brad Haddin (NSW), Right hand batsman/ Wicketkeeper, CRICINFO profile
Brad waited patiently on the side-lines to be the predecessor to Adam Gilchrist as our glovesman in all formats. He debuted in 2001 for the Green & Gold but his chance in Test cricket came in 2008. It hasn't been a smooth run for him since becoming the senior Keeper with shaky performances and injury burdens. As an aggressive batsman that can bash the ball all over the show but has an elegant technique.
He's an acrobatic glovesman behind the stumps. Although Matthew Wade has made a huge statement to be our main glovesman, Hads is still in the system as an experienced player. He is both verbal and highly competitive in the heat of battle in Test cricket! Just ask Suliemann Benn.
Ryan Harris (QLD), Right arm fast bowler, CRICINFO profile
Probably our best limited overs bowler, Ryano's chances have been as a result of opportunities due to injured players ahead of him, but he has made his opportunities golden! He returned to the Green & Gold during the 2009/2010 summer and was brilliant with his bowling.
He made sure he wouldn't be a one hit wonder after an ODI debut which looked set to be his one only appearance. As a right arm fast bowler, he continues to show an ability to learn quickly on his feet and has been a consistent contributor. Ryano has that tough Aussie mentality that'd make him slot into the 90s bowling attack with ease. His only issue is that his body is his own worst enemy and as a result he is on a road to recovery.
You can follow him on Twitter: @r_harris413
Ben Hilfenhaus (TAS), Right arm fast bowler, CRICINFO profile
It's been a patient journey for Hilfy but he finally debuted at Test level in 2009, where he is best suited with his natural right arm fast/medium swing bowling. A tough character who has been setback by injury and Squad selections, he made his major impact in the 2009 Ashes series where he was the leading wicket-taker and worked under alot of pressure with strike-bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle being off song at the start of the series. After a setback with knee tendonitis that put him on the sidelines after receiving a man-of-the-match award in just his first Test appearance on Australian soil..
He scored his maiden half-century at Lord's Cricket Ground vs Pakistan in July 2010 and most importantly after being dropped after the 2010/11 Ashes series he hit back against India the following summer with two 5 wicket hauls at the Gabba and SCG where he claimed an 8 wicket haul.
Mitchell Johnson (WA), Left arm seam bowler, CRICINFO profile
Mitch had quite a unique emergence into cricket, being talent spotted by Dennis Lillee.
He's become a household name and is a bowler who strikes fear in batsmen with his slinging action boosted with genuine pace and rapid bounce. He also has a few variation tricks up his sleeve. He delivered two of the meanest spells of bowling at the WACA, Perth and Kingsmead Durban against the Proteas. He did the same thing at the WACA during the 2010/11 series during our only win in the series.
While his days in the Test whites will likely not be consistent for appearance, he still has alot to offer Australian cricket in limited overs cricket and is now the senior strike-bowler for the team.
Nathan Lyon (SA), Right arm off-spin/ off break, CRICINFO profile
From New South Wales to South Australia. From a member of the grounds staff to being a member of the Redbacks Twenty20 Squad. Suddenly he was in Sri Lanka and took a 5 wicket haul on debut for the Baggy Greens. It's been a special story for a young man who rarely looks fussed but he certainly makes it clear that he's not taking any of it for granted.
Since his debut in 2011 it has been hard work for Nathan. Any spinner coming into the Australian side is bound to come under plenty of criticism and pressure but he takes it all in his stride. He's young, has plenty to learn and with perseverance, may his story has a few more special twists?
He was handed the honours of singing the team song "Under the Southern Cross I stand" when Michael Hussey retired in 2013.
You can follow him on Twitter: @NathLyon421
Glenn Maxwell (VIC), All-rounder, CRICINFO profile
Nicknamed "the big show", it is definitely pressure on for Maxwell as he tries to make in roads with his career. Still in his young days, Maxwell has already managed to make a statement in Twenty20 cricket. This has landed him in the lucrative deals in the Big Bash League and the Indian Premier League, where he became an overnight millionaire.
He has been trusted at Test level during the 2013 Border-Gavaskar series but it would seem he has a long way to go before being a highly recognised candidate for the elite form of the game. However, his limited overs prospects look good. A hard hitter of the ball and useful part-time spinner, he carries a similar x-factor as identified with Andrew Symonds.
The nickname may give a fair bit away but he'll need to ensure the big show is seen on the center stage for Australia.
You can follow him on Twitter: @Gmaxi_32
Clint McKay (VIC), Right arm fast/medium bowler, CRICINFO profile
In 2013 Clint won the ODI Player of the Year award at the Allan Border Medal Awards, for his performances during the 2012 and 2012/13 season. he has a lot to offer with experience now in the bag. With younger and quicker bowlers coming through the system, it will remain a competitive environment for him to operate within but if he can enhance his key attributes it will lead to further recognition.
You can follow him on Twitter: @clintmckay27
James Pattinson (VIC), Right arm fast bowler, CRICINFO profile
Having already had success at the elite level, notably back to back Test match five wicket hauls against New Zealand, he is young and will continue to make big strides.
He has already claimed the best limited overs for a Victorian bowler with 6-48.
His elder brother Darren played a Test for the old enemy, England.
You can follow him on Twitter: @jpattinson19
Peter Siddle (VIC), Right arm fast bowler, CRICINFO profile
His nickname Sidvicious (like the Sex Pistols guy) is appropriate for his hardcore Aussie attitude where he really is on the prowl and hungry for wickets! His entrance into International cricket was difficult. In fact he debuted at Test level which was hard enough, but to do it in India on those flat, dull wickets, that's even harder. He has since then been a guy who has earnt the respect of Australian supporters quickly, especially after his heroic batting during the 2nd Test against Pakistan at the SCG alongside Michael Hussey.
His attribute is characterised by aggressive, ambitious bowling where he tries to bang the ball into the batting deck as hard as possible and generate the pace and bounce needed to get wickets. He has plenty of time to add some tricks to his trade and become a regular cricketer for Australia.
Has a special moment of history when he took a hat-trick during the 1st test of the 2010/11 Ashes series at the Gabba. He also became the first no.9 batsman in Test cricket to score two half-centuries in a match.
You can follow him on Twitter; @Peter_Siddle
Mitchell Starc (NSW), Left arm fast bowler, CRICINFO profile
Mitchell has been on the fringes for a while and you'd be daft to declare him as ordinary, despite having only seen him play a handful of games for Australia. He's tall, fast and can swing the ball as well making him a bloke to keep an eye on for the future of Australian fast bowling.
With some fine tuning to his length, he'll find a way to execute his natural ability to swing the ball in a lethal manner with pace which comes just as naturally as his swing.
He has already shown during the summer for the Baggy Greens how effective he is when he gets it right and he is also no push-over in limited overs cricket.
You can follow him on Twitter; @mstarc56
Matthew Wade (VIC), Wicket keeper/ Left hand batsman, CRICINFO profile
Matt Wade has made his way into the Australian team through opportunity. Tim Paine, set as the wicket keeper to step in when Brad Haddin retires, broke his finger and found himself out of cricket during a time when Brad Haddin started to lose control of his game and the stepped away from the game for personal/ family reasons.
Backed by outstanding performances for the Victorian Bushrangers in all forms of the game, it was only fair that Matt Wade be given his chance to put on the gloves and represent Australia. He has two Test centuries and has been given plenty of exposure to the demands of international cricket with limited overs matches in Australia and series in the West Indies and England.
With Tim Paine and Brad Haddin making their way back into the game, this is the time for Matt to recall upon all he's learnt in a short space of time and take his game to a level he could never imagine. He's capable and has the golden opportunity to make the position his own. Australia needs it.
You can follow him on Twitter: @MatthewWade13
David Warner (NSW), Left hand opening batsman, CRICINFO profile
David Warner is not just a bloody explosive batsman. He is also revolutionising the game as Adam Gilchrist did before him. He was blasted an unforgettable century against India at the WACA during the 2011/12 summer and this was the same ground where Adam Gilchrist blasted a near record breaking fastest Test century. While different roles in the game, both come out as entertainers and have shaped the game.
Warner's time in the game may appear as a spec in the bigger picture but you can't deny that he's made the cricket world talk and watch in amazement with his power hitting. Yet there is a sense of eagerness to be more than a Twenty20 specialist and he's doing everything he can to prove otherwise. He's making in roads with Test cricket and he's making the most of his recall to the ODI team having been dropped last season but the future still looks like a special one.
Australia can be glad that they have such an exciting cricketer with a focused and determined personality.
You can follow him on Twitter; @davidwarner31
Shane Watson (NSW), Vice-Captain, All-rounder, CRICINFO profile
People sometimes laugh at Watto. He's a big bloke, with a very competitive attitude but he's an extremely emotional guy. If people understood the frustrations and upset he's endured along the way with a rollercoaster career, they'd see why he struggled to find the words when he was named as the Allan Border Player of the year in 2010. Injury after injury, along with changes in his State representation, Watto has done as much as he can to get to where he is now. He deserves to be where he is at, and is now a senior cricketer for Australia as well as being a vital top order contributor in any form of the game.
Initially a specialist bowler come batsman, he was forced to change his bowling action due to his back problems and consider becoming a specialist batsman. So, now Watto is a specialist opener come part-time medium pace bowler. He showed mental toughness when he had to replace Phillip Hughes during the 2009 Ashes at the top of the order and his maiden Test century came during the summer of 2009/10, proving his worth at the top of the order for the Baggy Green. His bowling abilities will be needed to keep his Test career alive.
He likes to attack and does so with elegant strokeplay and hates having his momentum choked. All he needs to do now is get some more centuries behind his stats! At last Watto seems to be living the dream. He broke a stack of records when he scored 185* versus Bangladesh, which came soon after 161* versus England in limited overs fixtures.
