ECB unveils central contracts: Ben Stokes leads the way
The ECB has unveiled a roster of central contracts for English cricketers, featuring multi-year contracts for emerging stars and a one-year contract for the premier all-rounder.
FollowIn a recent announcement by the ECB, 29 England cricketers have been granted central contracts, with seven players, including Harry Brook, obtaining this prestigious recognition for the first time. Notably, the ECB introduced a groundbreaking initiative featuring multi-year contracts, extending this opportunity to 18 players, including Joe Root and the recovering pace sensation, Jofra Archer. Ben Stokes, the star all-rounder and Test captain, has been awarded a one-year contract.
Among the debutants in the central contract list are Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Matthew Potts, and Josh Tongue, demonstrating their rising stature in English cricket. This strategic move reflects the ECB's commitment to nurturing and supporting promising talent in the cricketing world. Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, Rob Key, emphasized that these players are expected to play a pivotal role in England's cricketing journey over the upcoming years.
The distribution of contracts is as follows:
Three-year Central Contract: Joe Root, Mark Wood, Harry Brook.
Two-year Central Contract: Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jonathan Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Liam Livingstone, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
One-year contract: Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Ollie Robinson, Reece Topley.
Developmental Contract: Matthew Fisher, Saqib Mahmood, John Turner.
These contracts not only signify individual achievement but also the promise of a bright future for English cricket.
