Stokes signs 2-year England cricket deal extending to home Ashes series in 2027

LONDON (AP) – England test captain Ben Stokes was handed a two-year central contract on Tuesday that takes him through to a home Ashes series in 2027.

Stokes was one of 14 players to have signed such a deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board, which has showed faith in the allrounder despite the injury issues that have limited his involvement in recent years.

The 34-year-old Stokes has been test captain since 2022, when Brendon McCullum took over as coach.

Stokes hasn’t played in England’s white-ball teams since November 2023.

Jacob Bethell was also given a two-year central contract having previously been on a development deal. Bethell, who turned 22 in October, has since broken through at international level, including becoming England men’s youngest captain for the T20 series against Ireland in September.

A further 12 players have signed one-year deals, including Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley, who only play in tests.

“We have awarded two-year deals to our multi-format players so we can manage their workloads responsibly and give them the stability they need to perform across formats,” said Rob Key, managing director of England men’s cricket.

“We have also secured a number of white-ball players on longer agreements to help us plan effectively around the growing franchise calendar and ensure England remains their priority. This structure allows us to support our players properly while maintaining strong squads across all formats as much as possible.”