Versatile player Jacob Bethell has been given his first-ever England central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) which has made fresh two-year contract announcements for 14 multi-format players, including Test captain. ben stokes and an injury-affected pacer Jofra Archer.

ECB hands out 30 central contracts across formats

Bethell, a 22-year-old player, who has only been in 18 ODIs and 20 T20 Internationals, will be one of the top England players with a central contract along with the old guys like Joe Root, captain of the ODI side Harry Brook, and Gus Atkinson. The statement of the ECB informed that a total number of 30 players have been given central contracts, among them there are 14 two-year central contracts, 12 one-year annual contracts, and four England development contracts.

On a one-year basis only, five players: Sonny Baker, Liam Dawson, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, and Luke Wood, have got central contracts for the first time. Besides that, Eddie Jack, Tom Lawes, and Mitchell Stanley have got their first England Development Contracts along with Josh Hull.

Bethell who is also a 22-year-old player, in addition to 18 ODIs and 20 T20 Internationals, will be placed among the top contracted players of England with a central contract together with the old guys like Joe Root, ODI captain Harry Brook, and Gus Atkinson. Raised in Barbados and educated on a scholarship in England, Bethell made his Test debut last year and has quickly become one of the brightest multi-talented players to come out of England.

The ECB statement said that 30 players in total have got central contracts. These include 14 two-year central contracts, 12 one-year annual contracts, and four England development contracts.

Five players, Sonny Baker, Liam Dawson, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, and Luke Wood, have together netted central contracts for the first time, although it is for a one-year term. Furthermore, Eddie Jack, Tom Lawes, and Mitchell Stanley have obtained the first England Development Contracts thus far, and be in company with Josh Hull.

“The system, which covers both red-ball and white-ball cricket, takes into account players’ likelihood of featuring in England squads across formats in the coming seasons, while also recognizing performances over the past year,” the ECB noted.

England Men’s Managing Director Rob Key said the updated contract structure reflects England’s depth and the need to balance workload with franchise commitments.

“We’ve awarded two-year deals to our multi-format players so we can manage their workloads responsibly and give them stability across formats,” Key explained.
“We’ve also secured several white-ball specialists on longer agreements to help us plan effectively amid a busy franchise calendar and ensure England remains their priority.”

He added that the structure aims to maintain “strong squads across all formats” while supporting player development and performance.

Full list of England central contracts

Two-Year Central Contracts (Until September 2027):
Jofra Archer (Sussex), Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Will Jacks (Surrey), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Ben Stokes (Durham), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire).

One-Year Central Contracts (Until September 2026):
Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), Sonny Baker (Hampshire), Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Zak Crawley (Kent), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Matthew Potts (Durham), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Mark Wood (Durham), Luke Wood (Lancashire).

(By PTI Inputs)