The ECB has announced an expanded central contract list for 2026/27, with 30 players receiving central deals and nine on development contracts. Tom Banton and Jordan Cox earn their first central contracts, while Ollie Robinson returns to the list.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed the revised central contract list and coaching structure for England Men’s international cricket. The expanded list features 30 players on central contracts, alongside nine players awarded England Development contracts for the 2026/27 season. This marks an increase from the 2025/26 list, which included 30 contracted players in total, as per the ECB website.

First-Time Contracts and Key Return

Tom Banton, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Henry Crocombe, Emilio Gay, Matt Fisher and Dan Lawrence have earned Central Contracts for the first time. Ollie Robinson has also returned to the list, having previously held Central Contracts in 2022 and 2023. Fisher previously held an England Development Contract in 2023 and a Pace Bowling Contract in 2022.

Multi-Year Deals and Upgrades

Sonny Baker has been upgraded to a two-year contract, while Jordan Cox and Henry Crocombe have also secured two-year Central Contracts for the first time. A total of 11 players are now on two-year contracts.

New Development Contracts

James Coles, Mason Crane, Ben McKinney, Liam Patterson-White, Thomas Rew and Matthew Revis have been awarded their first England Development contracts. Crane’s selection comes in the same week he is set to join an England squad for the first time in more than eight years. Rew, who captained the Young Lions to the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup final earlier this year, is the youngest player on the list at just 18.

Long-Term Commitments

Nine players who were contracted last year have signed extensions, taking their deals through to September 2028. They are Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Joe Root and Josh Tongue.

Meanwhile, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Adil Rashid and Jamie Smith are entering the second year of their existing two-year contracts, which run until the end of England’s 2027 home summer.

England Central Contracts

Two-year contracts

Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Henry Crocombe, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Joe Root, Josh Tongue (to 30 September 2028).

One-year contracts

Rehan Ahmed, Tom Banton, Shoaib Bashir, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Ollie Robinson, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith (to 30 September 2027).

Development contracts

James Coles, Mason Crane, Josh Hull, Eddie Jack, Ben McKinney, Liam Patterson-White, Thomas Rew, Matthew Revis, Mitchell Stanley (to 30 September 2027).

Departures from Contract List

No longer contracted: Zak Crawley, Tom Lawes (development), Ben Stokes (retired), Luke Wood, Mark Wood (retired). (ANI)

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