England have placed their faith in rising star Jacob Bethell, awarding the 21-year-old all-rounder a two-year central contract, aligning him with the likes of Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, and Joe Root. Bethell, who was fast-tracked into England's national setup across all formats, has shown early promise, including a stellar unbeaten fifty on his Test debut in England’s eight-wicket win over New Zealand in Christchurch.

Bethell’s rise has been rapid. After making his ODI and T20I debuts in 2024, his stocks further soared when Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) bought him for INR 2.6 crore during the IPL 2025 mega auction. His consistent performances across formats have earned him a place among England’s top contracted players, with his deal running until September 2026.

In October 2024, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced their central contracts, awarding deals to 29 players. Bethell’s inclusion in the two-year contract list is a testament to the confidence the ECB has in his potential. Meanwhile, prominent players like Ben Foakes, Ollie Robinson, Matthew Fisher, and Saqib Mahmood were notably left out of the contracts.

Full List of England Men Centrally Contracted Players 2024/2025

Two-Year Contracts (2024-2026): Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood.

One-Year Contracts (2024/2025): Rehan Ahmed, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Ollie Pope, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Olly Stone, Josh Tongue, Reece Topley, Chris Woakes.

Development Contracts: Josh Hull, John Turner.