The ECB have announced their men's central contracts for the next 12 months with some notable changes from last year's cohort.
A total of 30 players have been awarded contracts, with the list split between 14 who have been handed two-year deals and 12 who have been contracted for one year. Four development contracts have also been handed out.
Two-year contracts: Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Ben Stokes, Josh Tongue
One-year contracts: Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Zak Crawley, Liam Dawson, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Phil Salt, Mark Wood, Luke Wood
Development contracts: Josh Hull, Eddie Jack, Tom Lawes, Mitchell Stanley
The winners
Five players have been awarded contracts for the first time. Luke Wood has been handed a one-year deal, reflecting his position as a now regular member of England's T20 side and having made his ODI debut in New Zealand. Liam Dawson has also been given a one-year deal. While his return to the Test side against India didn't go to plan, and his position as England's second-choice red-ball spinner has been lost to Will Jacks for the Ashes, he is a firm part of their T20 World Cup plans as Adil Rashid's spin-partner for the tournament in a few months' time.
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Saqib Mahmood is another first-time contract recipient, as is Jamie Overton, who announced an "indefinite break" from red-ball cricket after playing two Tests against India this summer. Overton played all three ODIs in New Zealand, playing important knocks down the order in all of them. Sonny Baker has also had his development contract upgraded, despite difficult outings in both his T20I and ODI debut at the end of the summer.
Perhaps the biggest winner from the list, however, is Sam Curran, who has been handed a two-year deal. Curran was given a one-year contract in the 2024/25 list, but went more than 10 months without playing a game for England after they were announced. However, his performances for Surrey and for Oval Invincibles in The Hundred meant calls of a white-ball return gathered momentum at the end of the summer. He's since shown the value of having a seam-bowling option batting in the top seven in England's T20I side, with the World Cup fast approaching. Contracting him for two years, however, points to his position in England's thinking beyond that tournament.
There are also other nods to the future among the group who have been included on two-year deals. While Ben Stokes has had to adjust his playing commitments significantly due to injury over the last couple of years, that he's signed on for another two suggests that he intends to continue playing after the upcoming Ashes series, perhaps even to the return series at home in 2027. Adil Rashid has also signed on for two more years, which will take him close to his 40th birthday and the 2027 50-over World Cup.
The losers
There has been a slight clear-out in the contract list, with several players not given renewals after their previous contracts ran out. Jonny Bairstow hasn't played for England since the 2024 T20 World Cup, but is only now out of contract. Chris Woakes retired from international cricket last month, and thus is also no longer on the ECB's payroll.
Jack Leach has also not been awarded a new contract. Leach last played for England on their Test tour of Pakistan last year, but has seen his place in the red-ball spin ranks slip further and further down over the last 12 months. Liam Dawson was called-up to replace Shoaib Bashir after he was injured out of the Test series against India this summer, and Will Jacks has been selected as back-up in Australia. Liam Livingstone and Reece Topley are also absent from the list, both of whom haven't featured for England since last winter. Olly Stone, who featured in England's Test squad last winter before being injured out of the first half of the domestic summer, is also out of contract. John Turner has also lost his development contract.
Several of England's current Test players have also only been handed one-year deals. Ollie Pope, whose last Test appearance was as captain in Stokes' absence, has only been signed on for another 12 months. That marks another point in Pope's downward slide in the Test pecking order, having lost the vice-captaincy to Harry Brook for the Ashes and with uncertainty over whether he or Jacob Bethell will start the series in possession of the No.3 spot. Zak Crawley, Shoaib Bashir and Mark Wood have also only been given one-year extensions, potentially paving the way for a post-Ashes cull should the series go badly.
Among those who may count themselves unlucky to miss out entirely on the list are Tom Banton, who has been a regular fixture in both of England's white-ball sides since being recalled earlier this year. Jordan Cox has also been a regular feature in white-ball squads, and has been selected in two Test squads in the last 12 months.
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