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Bailey, WA recruit on Tassie's contract list

Veteran to go around again for Tasmania as the Tigers announce largely unchanged contract list for 2019-20

Veteran George Bailey has signed on for an 18th season of domestic cricket with Tasmania, although it’s yet to be seen if he will take part in the JLT Sheffield Shield this summer.

Bailey was today named on Tasmania’s contract list for their 2019-20 campaign alongside fast-bowling recruit Alex Bevilaqua from Western Australia, while local duo Alex Pyecroft and Sean Willis have been handed full contracts after impressing last summer.

Bailey, who will turn 37 in September, hinted last week that he might play white-ball cricket only for the Tigers and Hobart Hurricanes, although he didn’t rule out continuing a Shield career that has included almost 8000 runs from 123 games.

The structure of the JLT One-Day Cup, which has been played as a standalone tournament in recent years, is reportedly set to change and be played throughout the season this summer.

Ice-man George guides Tassie into JLT Cup final

The 2019-20 domestic schedule, which is yet to be confirmed, is set to better inform the path Bailey takes this summer.

"(The JLT Cup) is a pretty good lead in to the Big Bash," Bailey told News Corp.

"It sounds like it is going to be structured a bit different.

"I’ll prepare as though I’m going to play everything and then work out who’s available and who’s playing well and if you are keen and all those things."

Speaking ahead of the 2018-19 season, Bailey said Tasmania's crop of energetic young players was keeping retirement thoughts at bay.

"It's hard not to get inspired and motivated when you see how hard young guys go and the guys coming through the ranks who are stepping up to be more senior players and leaders within our group," he told cricket.com.au last August. "They drag you along with them."

Image Id: 237E0048B75A41459CF008BFD010D358 Image Caption: Alex Bevilaqua has joined the Tigers from WA // Getty

Bevilaqua, a tall 22-year-old right-armer, took two wickets in two Shield matches for Western Australia at the end of the 2017-18 season.

Right-armer Pyecroft impressed last season in taking 12 wickets from four Shield matches, while Willis made his Shield debut against Western Australia in March.

Nick Buchanan, Liam Devlin, Hamish Kingston and Aaron Summers have all been delisted.

Coach Adam Griffith will be part of Australia’s coach staff for the upcoming World Cup and miss the early part of Tasmania’s pre-season, with batting coach Jeff Vaughan to take the reins in his absence.

2019-20 Tasmanian Tigers Men's Squad

In: Alex Bevilaqua, Iain Carlisle, Keegan Oates, Alex Pyecroft, Sean Willis

Out: Nick Buchanan, Liam Devlin, Hamish Kingston, Aaron Summers

Squad: George Bailey, Gabe Bell, Alex Bevilaqua, Jackson Bird, Alex Doolan, Jake Doran, James Faulkner, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Simon Milenko, Tim Paine (CA contract), Alex Pyecroft, Sam Rainbird, Tom Rogers, Gurinder Sandhu, Jordan Silk, Matthew Wade, Charlie Wakim, Beau Webster, Sean Willis

Rookies: Iain Carlisle, Jarrod Freeman, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Keegan Oates, Jack White, Mac Wright