Zak Crawley omitted as ECB expands England central contracts to 39 for 2026-27
Zak Crawley has been dropped from England’s central contracts by the England and Wales Cricket Board for the 2026-27 season, as the ECB increased its contracted group from 30 to 39 players.
The expanded list comprises 30 full central contracts and nine development deals, and eight players have been awarded new full central contracts after impressing the management. Crawley and left-arm seamer Luke Wood are the only senior players whose contracts were not renewed. The decision on Crawley follows a difficult Ashes series in Australia in which he averaged 27.30 and England lost the series 4-1, while the retirements of Ben Stokes and Mark Wood freed funds that enabled the ECB to expand the group.
The eight players granted new full central contracts are Ollie Robinson, Tom Banton, Sam Cook, Emilio Gay, Matthew Fisher, Dan Lawrence, Jordan Cox and Henry Crocombe. Robinson is the sole member of that group to have previously held a central contract, having been contracted in 2022 and 2023. Crocombe and Cox have signed two-year deals, while the remaining six new contract-holders received one-year agreements.
Ollie Robinson returned to the contracted group after more than two years away from the England team following a strong summer in the Test arena. The Sussex fast bowler took 28 wickets in four Tests against New Zealand and Pakistan this summer at an average of 9.32, including two five-wicket hauls and best figures of 5 for 39, performances which earned him a new central contract.
Other recent performers cited for inclusion include Jordan Cox and Dan Lawrence, who impressed during England’s Test series against Pakistan, and opener Emilio Gay, who has made an encouraging start to his international career. Tom Banton has contributed in white-ball formats, strengthening his case for full central recognition.
Several established internationals have retained their places as the ECB expands the contracted group, with names such as Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler among those listed. The full set of contracted players is: Joe Root*, Harry Brook*, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer*, Gus Atkinson*, Sonny Baker*, Tom Banton, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell*, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox*, Henry Crocombe*, Sam Curran*, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Matthew Fisher, Will Jacks*, Dan Lawrence, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Ollie Robinson, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue*. *Denotes two-year deal through until 30 September 2028.
The nine players on development deals are James Coles, Mason Crane, Josh Hull, Eddie Jack, Ben McKinney, Liam Patterson-White, Thomas Rew, Matthew Revis and Mitch Stanley.
With 39 players now under contract, England have a larger selection pool to manage workloads and prepare for their upcoming international commitments.