Veteran batsman Mark Waugh retained his contract with the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) on Wednesday but former test players Michael Slater, Greg Blewett, Damien Fleming and Colin Miller were not offered renewals.

ACB chief executive James Sutherland announced the national selection panel had chosen 25 players to be contracted by the ACB for the next 12 months.

Waugh kept his contract despite speculation he may be dropped for the tour of Pakistan in September. Slater’s omission was expected after his dumping from the Australian side in England last year and his subsequent struggles with New South Wales.

Blewett did not represent Australia in the past 12 months but scored heavily in domestic competitions for South Australia. Fleming and Miller, both closing in on retirement, were not expected to be selected again.

Fast bowler Stuart Clark was given his first ACB contract after a good season with New South Wales, taking 45 wickets at 23.26 in the domestic Pura Cup. He played twice for Australia A.

The Queensland trio of Andy Bichel, Nathan Hauritz and Jimmy Maher, Tasmania’s Shane Watson and Western Australia’s Brad Williams — all of whom were added to the list of contracted players during the 2001-02 season — had their contracts renewed.

Under a formula agreed with the Australian Cricketers’ Association, the minimum amount for the base retainer offered to the lowest-ranked contracted player is 110,000 Australian dollars ($53,000).