Australian cricketer Sam Robson snubbed by England as contracts handed out

ENGLAND's Aussie opening batsman Sam Robson has been ignored by the England Cricket Board when it handed out contracts overnight.

The former Australian under 19s player from Sydney was not among 12 players awarded full contracts or another five given incremental contracts.

This is despite six players being awarded 12-month central contracts for the first time: Moeen Ali, Gary Ballance, Jos Buttler, Chris Jordan, Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes. There was great fanfare when Robson was selected for his first Test at the start of the England summer after sustained success with Middlesex.

The rejoicing reached a crescendo when Robson, 25, scored a century in just his second Test, against Sri Lanka at Headingley.

But he averaged under 24 in the five-Test series that followed against India, managing just one half-century.

Robson showed a persistent weakness outside the off stump with poorly judged drives.