Sussex seamer recognised after taking 28 wickets in first five Tests after apologising and serving ban for historical racist and sexist tweets; Leach and Malan also receive deals for first time; Livingstone is awarded an increment contract for the first time but Sibley misses out
Friday 8 October 2021 12:46, UK
Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson, Somerset spinner Jack Leach and Yorkshire batsman Dawid Malan have been awarded England Central Contracts for the first time in a revamped structure for 2021-22.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has ditched its previous strategy of awarding separate red ball and white ball deals and replaced it with a one-size-fits-all system.
The new structure is, according to the ECB, "designed to meet England's future needs in what has become a fluid and dynamic landscape" due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The system considers the likelihood of players featuring in England teams across formats in the next 12 months, whilst also recognising performances in the preceding year.
As expected, all-rounder Ben Stokes is included on the list despite undergoing a second surgery on his finger this week at a time when he is taking a break from the game to focus on his mental health.
Kent's Zak Crawley is retained but fellow top-order batter Dom Sibley, who was dropped in the summer after a run of poor form, is left off the list entirely.
Lancashire all-rounder Liam Livingstone is awarded an increment contract for the first time after his excellent campaign during the English summer. Surrey's Tom Curran returns to an increment contract having had a white-ball contract in 2020/21.
Managing Director of Men's England Cricket, Ashley Giles, said he believes the new system is "the fairest and most transparent way of rewarding players across all formats".
He added: "I would like to congratulate all the players offered agreements for the coming year, particularly newcomers Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, and Ollie Robinson. Receiving your first central contract is a great moment in any player's career. They will all play a pivotal role in England's fortunes over the next 12 months."
Moeen Ali (Worcestershire); James Anderson (Lancashire); Jofra Archer (Sussex); Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire); Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire); Rory Burns (Surrey); Jos Buttler (Lancashire); Zak Crawley (Kent); Sam Curran (Surrey); Jack Leach (Somerset); Dawid Malan (Yorkshire); Eoin Morgan (Middlesex); Ollie Pope (Surrey); Adil Rashid (Yorkshire); Ollie Robinson (Sussex); Joe Root (Yorkshire); Jason Roy (Surrey); Ben Stokes (Durham); Chris Woakes (Warwickshire); Mark Wood (Durham)
Dom Bess (Yorkshire); Tom Curran (Surrey); Chris Jordan (Surrey); Liam Livingstone (Lancashire)
Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire); Craig Overton (Somerset); Olly Stone (Warwickshire)
