The list will display the continued evolution of the central contracts system. When central contracts were first introduced at the turn of the century to help better manage England’s key players, just a dozen deals were handed out. As recently as 2013-14, when Joe Root first received a contract, there were only 11 players on a list that focused entirely on Test cricket. In recent times the list has swelled and for the last three years has included certain key players on multi-year deals.
These days there is also far greater flexibility in the amount a player earns from a central contract. While some top players are on retainers worth north of £1m per year, deals at the lower end of the spectrum – for white-ball squad players, for instance – can be worth about £150,000.
This has meant that the money freed up by Stokes and Wood’s retirements has allowed England not only to award some key players handsome pay-rises, but also give deals to more fringe players. The way the ECB’s agreement with the Team England Player Partnership (TEPP) works is that a pot of money is allocated for contracts, and must all be used. It cannot be used for other aspects of the England team or ECB’s budget.
Last year, more than half the full contracts offered were two-year deals, but this year they are expected to be the preserve of fast bowlers and a small group of batsmen, including Root, Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell. It is expected that Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith, despite being established Test regulars, will receive just one-year deals.
Why have England tweaked development contracts?
The changes to the development contracts give England some control over more players across more disciplines. While previously just a handful of promising fast bowlers received deals (none of last year’s four actually made an England squad in any format), now a mix of players will be included.
England are looking to beef up the Lions programme, with Jonathan Trott now at the helm and three tours this winter, to the Caribbean, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Lions tours are important, because they expose future internationals to conditions outside England, but also provide 50-over experience, which the domestic system currently does not. There is talk that more England-contracted players will find themselves on Lions tours if they are not involved with the first team.
By handing development contracts to more players, England will have a greater say over how players of interest spend their winter. They can all pick up franchise deals as they please, and often be paid much better for it than they would be for a Lions tour. But if a Lions tour is better for their medium-term development, with international cricket in mind, then the small investment England have made in these players means they can manage which route they take.
England’s probable full central contract list
Batsmen Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Emilio Gay, Phil Salt, Jordan Cox, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith, Ollie Pope, Tom Banton.
All-rounders Will Jacks, Sam Curran, Rehan Ahmed, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson.
Bowlers Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse, Sonny Baker, Sam Cook, Matt Fisher, Matthew Potts, Henry Crocombe, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Shoaib Bashir.