England Central Contract: Ben Stokes set to play 2027 Ashes - Here's Why

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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has unveiled its latest set of central contracts, announcing 30 players in total for the 2025-27 cycle.

Among them, six fresh faces-Jacob Bethell, Sonny Baker, Liam Dawson, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, and Luke Wood-earned their first national agreements. Bethell's rising stock as a young allrounder who recently led a second-string T20I side earned him special attention, though he remains the only one among the newcomers to secure a development deal.

"This year's central contract group reflects the depth and strength of talent we have across England Men's cricket," Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, said.

"We have awarded two-year deals to our multi-format players, so we can manage their workloads responsibly and give them the stability they need to perform across formats."

Ben Stokes is set to play till the 2027 Ashes, whose current two-year deal with the ECB has further confirmed it.

The 14 players who have landed two-year contracts will hold deals through September 2027, ensuring continuity for England's core across formats. Test captain Ben Stokes, one-day skipper Harry Brook, and seasoned performers Jos Buttler, Joe Root, Adil Rashid, Ben Duckett, and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith all feature among the long-term signings. Pacer Jofra Archer, seemingly past his injury troubles, is also rewarded with a two-year commitment.

In contrast, senior quick Mark Wood has opted for a shorter one-year contract, joining 11 others under the same arrangement. Meanwhile, four players were handed development contracts-part of ECB's effort to align its structures with workload management and player progression goals.

"We have also secured a number of white-ball players on longer agreements to help us plan effectively around the growing franchise calendar and ensure England remains their priority," Key added. "This structure allows us to support our players properly while maintaining strong squads across all formats as much as possible."

Jonny Bairstow among Absentees

Veteran batter Jonny Bairstow has not been offered a new deal following the expiration of his previous one. Liam Livingstone, Tom Banton, and Jordan Cox are also notable omissions from the updated list.

England Central Contract Players

Two-year contracts: 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, Josh Tongue

One-year contracts: Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Zak Crawley, Liam Dawson, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Phil Salt, Luke Wood, Mark Wood

Development contracts: Josh Hull, Eddie Jack, Tom Lawes, Mitchell Stanley