Star England players Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler ink central contracts with the ECB

On Thursday, October 31, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, the captains of England’s Test and limited overs teams, signed a new central contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for a two-year term. Interestingly, Buttler had a two-year contract beforehand, whereas Stokes had a 12-month one.

Additionally, seven players have a two-year contract with the English board, while 19 of the 29 players have an annual basis contract. The other three players, meanwhile, are contracted to England Cricket’s development program. Jamie Smith, the ECB’s rising star batsman, has also signed a two-year contract.

He was also one of the five players with a multi-year central deal, which is interesting. In 2023, the English cricket diaspora saw the introduction of multi-year base deals for the first time. Other top players with one-year contracts besides Smith include Phil Salt, Olly Stone, Shoaib Bashir, and Will Jacks.

The calibre of centrally contracted players demonstrates the strength of talent in England: Rob Key

Young players including John Turner, Jacob Bethell, and Josh Hull have key contracts with England under the development plan. In addition, rising star pacer Gus Atkinson has extended his two-year contract with the ECB, while spinner Jack Leach and wicketkeeper Reece Topley have also secured one-year agreements.

“The system, which covers both red-ball and white-ball players, considers the likelihood of players featuring in England teams across formats over the next period while recognising performances in the preceding year,” stated the ECB in its statement.

“The calibre of players who are centrally contracted demonstrates the strength and depth of talent across England Men’s red and white-ball cricket,” said Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket.

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These deals honour the players we think will contribute significantly to our England men’s teams. The fact that both of our captains, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, have agreed to two-year central contracts demonstrates how dedicated each player is to playing for their nation,” he said.