ECB Central Contracts Explained: 39 Deals Issued for 2026-27 as Ollie Robinson Returns and Zak Crawley Misses Out
ECB Central Contracts Explained: 39 Deals Issued for 2026-27 as Ollie Robinson Returns and Zak Crawley Misses Out
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) issued 39 central contracts to men's players for the 2026-27 season last week, comprising 30 full central contracts and nine development contracts. The latest round of deals has put the contract system back in the spotlight, with Ollie Robinson regaining a central contract after impressing for England's Test side in the summer and Kent batter Zak Crawley losing his.
What Are ECB Central Contracts?
The ECB introduced central contracts in 2000 as a way to give the governing body more control over its best players. The deals are designed to be forward-facing, meaning that when they are issued annually they reward current top performers while also looking at players likely to play key roles in the near future.
The contracts are multiformat and are issued to both men's and women's players. For the 2025-26 term, the ECB announced its women's central contracts at the end of November, with 17 players on full contracts and four players on 'skills' deals, akin to the men's development contracts.
How Do Central Contracts Work?
Should a player receive an ECB central contract, the ECB effectively becomes their primary employer ahead of the county side that they also represent. It is expected that the ECB will pay most or all of a centrally contracted player's salary, although that will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
For women's contracts, it is understood there is a bigger increase in a centrally contracted player's salary from what they would have received from their counties compared to the men's game.
Central contracts also mean the ECB has more control over on-pitch and off-pitch factors for every player. These often include player workloads, injury recovery, strength and conditioning, and coaching resources — all of which can be managed internally.
What Are Development Contracts?
Under a development contract, a player effectively earns a 25% pay rise. Their county side will pay them 50% of their salary, while the ECB will pay the other 50% and an additional 25% on top of that.
England men's chief selector Marcus North has stated how much he wants to see players around the England Lions team dedicate more time to playing for the side instead of competing in franchise leagues and similar competitions.
The Challenge When a Contract Is Lost
One challenge counties will face is when a player that has previously been centrally contracted loses that deal and returns to being solely paid by their county.
A recent example of this is Kent batter Zak Crawley, who lost his central contract when the latest renewals were announced. Prior to it being announced formally, it is likely that discussions would have taken place as to how Crawley's salary now looks and how it would have affected Kent's salary cap allowance now that they are his sole employers. Kent announced Crawley had signed a new contract with the county three days after the ECB announced its latest list of centrally contracted players.
This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team, answering a question from Ian in Norwich.