Stokes, Bethell among 14 players handed two-year ECB contracts

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday (November 4) announced two-year central contracts for 14 players, running through to September 2027. Test captain Ben Stokes, limited-overs captain Harry Brook, seniors Jos Buttler, Joe Root and Adil Rashid are among the players in the list. Another 12 players were offered one-year contracts, with four more players handed development contracts.

Pacer Jofra Archer, who appears to have put his injury woes behind him, has been awarded a two-year contract, while fellow quick Mark Wood has opted for a one-year deal. Opener Ben Duckett and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, who have both nailed their spots across formats in recent times, have also signed two-year contracts.

There are six new names in the 30-man list. Young allrounder Jacob Bethell, who recently led a second string T20I side is present alongside Sonny Baker, Liam Dawson, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton and Luke Wood. Apart from Bethell, the other five new entrants have signed one-year deals.

Veteran Jonny Bairstow wasn't offered a new contract after the expiry of the current one whereas Liam Livingstone, Tom Banton and Jordan Cox were other notable omissions.

"This year's central contract group reflects the depth and strength of talent we have across England Men's cricket," Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, said. "We have awarded two-year deals to our multi-format players, so we can manage their workloads responsibly and give them the stability they need to perform across formats.

"We have also secured a number of white-ball players on longer agreements to help us plan effectively around the growing franchise calendar and ensure England remains their priority. This structure allows us to support our players properly while maintaining strong squads across all formats as much as possible."

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