Wicketkeeper is major benefactor as England agreement 29 players for 2024-25 period
Jamie Smith will be a key player in England's plans for the 2026 T20 World Cup and the Ashes tour of Australia next year, thanks to a profitable two-year ECB key contract.
Smith, 24, was one of the breakout stars of England's house Test summers, scoring a girl Test hundred against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford, before being named as the PCA's Fresh Player of the Year at their monthly end-of-season awards dinner.
Though his opportunities in white-ball cricket have so far been limited by his task, Smith showed glimpses of his potential in the new home ODI series against Australia, and though he is expected to miss the Examine tour of New Zealand as he goes on paternity leave, he looks set to be a key figure in England's plans for their white-ball tour of India in January and the following Champions Trophy.
Strong bowling Gus Atkinson, another amazing contrast to England's plans across platforms, has also received a two-year offer ( a one-year extension of his active offer ) while Joe Root, Harry Brook and Mark Wood have been retained on the second of the three-year offers that they signed in the last round of arrangements for 2023-24.
With Brendon McCullum already secured as England's head coach across formats for the next three years, England have now tied both their red- and white-ball captains, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, to two-year deals. As reported last week, Stokes has agreed to extend the one-year deal that he signed last year, having then taken a punt that his value to the team would rise in the interim.
Buttler's deal, meanwhile, is a show of faith in England's white-ball captain despite an absence from professional cricket that has now extended to five months as he recovers from a persistent calf injury. It comes on the same day that his long association with Rajasthan Royals was ended by his omission from their list of retained players for the 2025 IPL.
England rejigged their contracts system in September 2023 to reflect the mounting pressure on international cricket from the T20 franchise circuit, with 18 of those initial 26 offers being multi-year deals. That policy came in for criticism, however, particularly in the wake of England's disastrous 50-over World Cup defence, because it limited the potential to overhaul an under-performing squad. Notably, 19 of this year's 29 deals are for one year only, including that of Jonny Bairstow, who was dropped from all three formats earlier this year, midway through his two-year deal, and seems unlikely to feature in England's plans in the near future.
In addition to Smith, four other players have signed their first central contracts: Shoaib Bashir, Phil Salt, Olly Stone and Will Jacks, who was the notable omission from England's plans last time around. Three further players have been handed development contracts, including two new additions in Jacob Bethell and Josh Hull, and John Turner, the fast bowler who could make his England debut in the Caribbean this week.
Moeen Ali, Dawid Malan, and James Anderson, who retired from international cricket, and the fast bowlers Matthew Fisher and Saqib Mahmood, who had been signed on development contracts after making their Test debuts in the Caribbean in 2022, have all been eliminated from England's list for 2024-35.
The most notable absentees, however, are Ollie Robinson and Ben Foakes, the Test wicketkeeper who made way for his Surrey team-mate Smith in the summer. Both men last featured on the tour of India in February, and their hopes of a recall in the current regime would now appear to be over.
" 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," Rob Key, England men's managing director, said. " These contracts reward the players who we believe will contribute significantly to our England Men's teams." Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, our captains, both signed two-year central contracts, which show how committed all the players are to giving playing for their country a priority.
" 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. "
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