ECB names 39 England men for 2026/27 contracts

The England and Wales Cricket Board has named 39 players on its men’s contract list for the 2026/27 season, comprising 30 central contracts and nine development deals. Seven players have received central contracts for the first time, according to the ECB’s announcement on October 12. The first-time central-contract holders are Tom Banton, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Henry Crocombe, Emilio Gay, Matthew Fisher and Dan Lawrence. Fast bowler Ollie Robinson has also returned to the central list after previously holding contracts in 2022 and 2023. Eleven players have two-year central contracts running through September 2028. They include England captain Joe Root, one-day captain Harry Brook, Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Sonny Baker, Jordan Cox and Henry Crocombe. The remaining central contracts run through September 2027, as do the nine development deals. The ECB list does not include Ben Stokes or Mark Wood, both of whom retired from international cricket, or Zak Crawley and Luke Wood, whose contracts were not renewed.