Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler has signed the two-year central contracts with the ECB

England’s two captains, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, have signed two-year central contracts with the ECB.

Stokes, the Test skipper, was previously on a one-year contract, while Buttler had already been on a two-year deal.

Of the 29 players on central contracts for the men’s team, seven are on two-year deals, 19 have annual contracts, and three are on development contracts.

Wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith has also signed a two-year contract, becoming one of five players to secure central contracts for the first time under the ECB’s new multi-year system, introduced in 2023.

The other four—Will Jacks, Shoaib Bashir, Phil Salt, and Olly Stone—have each signed one-year contracts.

Jacob Bethell, Josh Hull, and John Turner join the list of players on England Development contracts, while Gus Atkinson has renewed his contract for another two years.

Jack Leach and Reece Topley each signed one-year deals.

According to the ECB, the new system, which covers both red-ball and white-ball players, takes into account the likelihood of players featuring for England across formats over the coming period while also recognising performances from the previous year.

Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, praised the depth of talent within the team: “The strength and depth of talent across England Men’s red and white-ball cricket is clear in the quality of players who are centrally contracted.”

He added, “These contracts reward players who we believe will play an important role for our England Men’s teams.

Both our captains, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, have signed two-year central contracts, showcasing the commitment of all the players to prioritise playing for their country.”