After winning a place among the initial group of contracted state players for the 2001-02 domestic season, Ryan Campbell seems set to become one of the first beneficiaries of sweeping changes being made to the complexion of Western Australian state cricket.

It is already beyond doubt that the Warriors will have a new Chief Executive, a new coach and a new captain this summer. And, in announcing the initial list of contract recipients for the season, it seems that the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) might well have rubber-stamped the emergence of Campbell as the team's new deputy gloveman for Australian vice-captain Adam Gilchrist.

Less than a month after he put to bed speculation that he might be moving to Victoria to accept a lucrative offer, Campbell has won the nod for a new contract with the Warriors ahead of Mark Walsh. Walsh was the preferred choice as wicketkeeper in Gilchrist's absence from domestic first-class cricket for as many as eight matches last summer but appears to have become an early casualty of new coach Mike Veletta's search for a better balanced outfit.

Where the recently restructured state selection panel has shown itself to be more closely allied to the work of its predecessors is in continuing a policy of blooding young batting talent. After appearing in the two closing first-class games of 2000-01, 20-year old opener Scott Meuleman has won a full state contract for the first time, and 17-year old Shaun Marsh has retained his status as a contracted player. Following his senior debut in Warriors' colours in the end-of-season Champions Cup one-day tournament, 21-year old batting all-rounder Peter Worthington is another to make the new list.

Two of the state's new rookie contracts also go to exciting young strokeplayers. Luke Ronchi, 20, is a wicketkeeper-batsman who has made impressive strides in recent years and looks poised to become the Warriors' next long-term incumbent in the wicketkeeping position. Beau Casson, meanwhile, is a talented 18-year old right hander whose selection as Player of the Series at last summer's national under-19 championship capped an outstanding career at underage level. Joining them on the rookie list is paceman Michael Thistle, a 20-year old right armer from the Bayswater-Morley club. Like Ronchi, Marsh and Meuleman, Thistle is among the elite band of scholarship holders currently based at the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy in Adelaide.

In total, nine players from Western Australia's group of contract holders last season have not been re-signed at this stage. They include batsmen Rob Baker and Chris Rogers and pace bowlers Mark Atkinson, Sean Cary, Steve Nikitaras and Gavin Swan. Batsman David Hussey has relocated to Victoria in a bid to advance his career, while another player missing from the list, Michael Dighton, has been linked to Tasmania in speculation about a possible off-season move.

Walsh's hopes of securing a new deal with the Warriors, meanwhile, are not completely lost as he may be in line to receive one of the four remaining contracts that the WACA is still set to award in the lead-up to the start of the new season in October. But officials in the West are said to be especially attracted to the idea of turning Campbell into a more regular member of the team following a season of frustration and in the wake of rumours of occasional bad blood between themselves and the hard-hitting 29-year old.

The list of players with Western Australian state contracts for 2001-02 is: Jo Angel, Ryan Campbell, Murray Goodwin, Kade Harvey, Brad Hogg, Michael Hussey, Brendon Julian, Stuart Karppinen, Shaun Marsh, Scott Meuleman, Matthew Nicholson, Marcus North, Brad Oldroyd, Darren Wates, Brad Williams, Peter Worthington.

Rookie contracts: Beau Casson, Luke Ronchi, Michael Thistle.

ACB contracts: Adam Gilchrist, Simon Katich, Justin Langer, Damien Martyn.

© 2001 CricInfo Ltd