Tag: England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced the updated Central Contract list for the Men’s international cricket season for 2024-25.

A total of 29 players received England central contracts, including seven players who were awarded two-year contracts, 19 securing annual contracts, and three receiving Development contracts.

England Men’s captains Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler have both signed extensions and are now contracted on two-year deals. Test captain Stokes was previously on a one-year contract and white-ball captain Buttler was on a two-year contract.

Five players have signed England Central Contracts for the first time under the new multi-year system that was introduced last year.

Jamie Smith has signed a two-year contract while Will Jacks, Shoaib Bashir, Phil Salt and Olly Stone have signed one-year contracts.

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Jacob Bethell and Josh Hull have earned England Development Contracts for the first time to join John Turner.

A further three players who were already contracted have also renewed with Gus Atkinson signing a two-year contract while Jack Leach and Reece Topley have agreed on a further one-year contract each.

The system, which covers both red-ball and white-ball players, considers the likelihood of players featuring in England teams across formats over the next period while recognising performances in the preceding year.

Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, Rob Key, said: “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.

“These contracts reward the players 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 that showcase the commitment of all the players to prioritise playing for their country.

“I want to congratulate all the players who have signed new central contracts ahead of what is set to be an exciting period for England Men’s cricket.”

England Men Central Contract List

Two-year contracts: Gus Atkinson, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Ben Stokes, and Mark Wood.

One-year contracts: Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Olly Stone, Josh Tongue, Reece Topley, Chris Woakes

Development contracts: Jacob Bethell, Josh Hull and John Turner.

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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) unveiled the calendar for the upcoming 2025 home international season, encompassing fixtures for both the men’s and women’s cricket teams.

England Women will open the international summer at the Spitfire Ground, Canterbury, on 21 May with the first of the three-match T20I series against West Indies Women. Following the T20Is, the two teams will compete in three ODIs.

Meanwhile, a three-match ODI series between England Men and West Indies Men will begin a few days later at Edgbaston on 29 May, with a three-match T20I series straight after.

This follows the conclusion of a historic Test match against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, starting on 22 May, which will be the first time Zimbabwe have played a Test match in England since 2003.

The West Indies series will be followed by concurrent England Men’s and England Women’s series against India.

A five-match Men’s Test series will be interspersed by England Women’s five T20Is and three One Day Internationals.

The Men’s Test series against India promises to be a thrilling clash, with the sides currently at numbers two and three in the ICC world rankings.

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The last series ended in a 2-2 draw after England won the rescheduled fifth Test by seven wickets in 2022 in Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s first summer at the helm. The match had been delayed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

England Men’s series will begin at Headingley on 20 June before matches at Edgbaston, Lord’s and Emirates Old Trafford. The series will conclude at The Kia Oval in early August.

England Women’s series also promises to be exciting after England triumphed in the IT20 series and India took the ODI crown the last time the two sides met in this country in 2022.

Next year England Women’s series will begin with T20Is at Trent Bridge, Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium, The Kia Oval, Emirates Old Trafford and Edgbaston, before three Metro Bank ODIs at Southampton’s Utilita Bowl, Lord’s and the Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street.

The home international summer will then conclude in early September, with England Men taking on South Africa in three ODIs and three T20Is before the team travels to Ireland for three ODIs from 17-21 September.

It has also been confirmed that India Women will return in 2026 for a one-off Test match at Lord’s – the first-ever Women’s Test to be staged at the Home of Cricket.

England Women have played white-ball matches at Lord’s for the past three years, with another scheduled next year, but it will be the first time the ground has hosted a Women’s Test match.

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