Stuart Clark is set to be a major financial winner out of Australia's thumping Ashes series win as Cricket Australia prepares for its biggest contractual shake-up in a decade.
Clark took the most wickets in the series with 26 at 17.04, pushing his career tally to 47 wickets in nine Test matches.
Press reports Sunday said that as many as seven Cricket Australia (CA) contracts are up for grabs this year following the retirements of Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn.
The Sunday Telegraph said former international stars Jason Gillespie, Simon Katich and Michael Kasprowicz are also in danger of slipping off the 25-man contract list.
They were axed from the Test and one-day sides in the past year.
The seven contracts are worth an estimated 2.3 million Australian dollars (1.8 million US) in total earnings, the newspaper said.
Clark's CA contract is set to be improved substantially. He was named man-of-the-match in Australia's 10-wicket win in Friday's final Test, which clinched a 5-0 Ashes clean sweep over England for the first time in 86 years.
A year ago he was on a contract with New South Wales worth around 70,000 dollars, but is likely to rocket into Australia's top-five earners if he can play in the World Cup, starting in March, the newspaper said.
The Sunday Telegraph said the 31-year-old paceman is likely to receive a base CA contract of 500,000 dollars. With match payments, endorsements and bonuses factored in, Clark could pocket as much as 800,000 dollars.
Should Clark play a role in Australia winning the World Cup, he stands to earn an individual bonus of at least 250,000 dollars, taking his earnings potential to one million dollars and beyond.
Australian Cricketers Association chief executive Paul Marsh said Clark was headed for a significant pay rise.
"It depends on how the selectors rank him but he has gone from a fringe player to one of our best bowlers in the past year," said Marsh, whose organisation plays a role in negotiating the wage structure of Australia's top cricketers.
"If he makes the World Cup team, his ranking could improve considerably. The way the system is set up, he's set for a big increase in his contract."
Batsman Michael Hussey is another set for a contract windfall and is expected to become the third highest earner behind Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist, along with all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who reclaimed his Test spot during the Ashes series.
Cricket Australia assesses its top 25 contracted players annually and is expected to issue new contracts in early May, following the World Cup in the Caribbean.
Rising West Australian duo Adam Voges and Chris Rogers, Tasmanian fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus and Victoria's leg-spinning captain Cameron White are in the frame to win CA contracts.
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