England reveal huge list of central contracts as new coaches named

England have named a bumper list of centrally-contracted players with 39 individuals rewarded ahead of a significant year of cricket.

Spinner Shoaib Bashir and batter Ollie Pope are among those to retain central contracts on a 30-strong list, with Tom Banton, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Henry Crocombe, Emilio Gay, Matt Fisher and Dan Lawrence awarded deals for the first time.

Additionally, nine players are given development contracts, including teenage Somerset batter Thomas Rew and Nottinghamshire spinning all-rounder Liam Patterson-White.

11 players – including captains Joe Root and Harry Brook – are given two-year contracts. Retirees Ben Stokes and Mark Wood, as well as Kent opener Zak Crawley, are among those to drop off the list, but Brydon Carse still has a year left on his deal.

The coaching structure of the men’s red and white-ball sides have also been confirmed as Stephen Fleming begins his tenure with the Test team.

Fleming will be supported by Marcus Trescothick – who filled in as interim head coach during the series with Pakistan – as well as James Foster, Eric Simons and Richard Dawson, who leaves Glamorgan to return to the national set-up as spin bowling lead.

“Richard is someone that (Fleming) was really keen to try and get to come and do this job. I think it’s brilliant and our gain is Glamorgan’s loss,” said Rob Key, managing director of men’s cricket at the ECB.

“He was part of the process for the main job, the Test job (in the summer). There’s part of a succession plan in there that may or may not happen because you never know what happens in those these jobs. I certainly think there’s a number of coaches that have the potential not only to learn, but to go and do the job in the future. Richard Dawson would be near the top of that list.

“There’s a number of coaches in our game that would have an opportunity in the future to coach England, but these are the guys that we think. They’ve been in our setup a little bit. I feel, along with Jonathan Trott doing the Lions, we’ve got the best of what this country has to offer so far.”

Brendon McCullum, meanwhile, will have a coaching staff of compatriots Tim Southee and Jeetan Patel, plus Sarah Taylor and Kevin Pietersen, continuing in his position as a specialist batting mentor. Mike Yardy is appointed as elite national batting lead.

The appointments come ahead of a busy winter that includes Tests in South Africa, Bangladesh and Australia, where England also play white-ball games in November.

Next summer will be headlined by the Ashes, before the World Cup is held in South Africa in 12 months time.

Carse, meanwhile, has been charged by the Cricket Regulator over an incident in Derby in August.

“There is an investigation going on which I’m not party to,” Key said of the seamer. “We deal with that after the regulator has done their work. He had another year left and I don’t see at the moment anything to say he won’t continue on that contract. Once all of this is dealt with, we’ll decide if he can international cricket again.”

*Denotes two-year deal through until 30 September 2028

Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire)

Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire)

Jacob Bethell* (Warwickshire)

Henry Crocombe* (Sussex/Surrey)

Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)

Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire)

Josh Tongue* (Nottinghamshire)

Josh Hull (Leicestershire)

Liam Patterson-White (Nottinghamshire)

Matthew Revis (Yorkshire)

Mitch Stanley (Lancashire)