The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced its central contracts for the 2025–26 season, featuring several big changes. A total of 30 players have been awarded contracts, while six senior players — including Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone — have been dropped. On the other hand, nine cricketers have earned a central contract for the first time, reflecting a clear shift towards youth and long-term planning.
Key Highlights
- Total Players: 30
- 2-Year Contracts (Till Sept 2027): 14
- 1-Year Contracts (Till Sept 2026): 12
- Development Contracts: 4
- New Entrants: 9 Players
- Dropped: Bairstow, Livingstone, Leach, Topley, Stone, Turner
Two-Year Central Contract List
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, and Josh Tongue.
These long-term deals are designed for multi-format players to ensure workload management and maintain consistency across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.
One-Year Central Contract List
Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jack Crawley, Liam Dawson, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Phil Salt, Mark Wood, and Luke Wood.
Players on one-year deals will be assessed based on performance for future extensions.
Development Contracts
Josh Hull, Eddie Jack, Tom Lawes, and Mitchell Stanley have been handed development contracts — marking them as England’s future stars.
Players Dropped
The ECB has opted not to renew contracts for Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Jack Leach, Reece Topley, Ollie Stone, and John Turner. Retired all-rounder Chris Woakes is also absent from the new list.
ECB’s Official Statement
Managing Director Rob Key said,
“This contract group reflects the depth and strength of talent in English cricket. The two-year deals offer stability to key multi-format players, while the newer faces show our focus on the future. We want to ensure England remains the top choice for every player.”
Ben Stokes Signs Long-Term Deal
England’s Test captain Ben Stokes has signed a two-year contract, confirming his commitment to lead the team through the 2027 home Ashes series.
