England Test captain Ben Stokes has signed a new two-year central contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board, confirming his commitment to lead the side until at least the 2027 Ashes series on home soil. The 34-year-old Stokes has fought problems with his hamstring and shoulder in recent years, generally restricting him to Test cricket. He hasn't played limited-overs internationals since November 2023, but his new deal shows he isn't planning retirement anytime soon. Stokes-McCullum Duo to Continue Head coach Brendon McCullum's contract, too, runs till 2027, so England will retain the same captain-coach partnership that has been successful for another two years. Under Stokes and McCullum, who took over in 2022, England have won 25 of their 39 Tests. They have not yet won a series against major opponents like India or Australia. Stokes is among 14 players to be awarded two-year central contracts, while 12 others have been handed one-year deals. Four players have been offered development contracts for 2025-26. Also Read | SRH Considering Release of Star Batter Ahead of IPL 2026 Auction: Check Who and Why England Central Contracts (2025–27) Category Players Contract Until Two-Year Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Jacob Bethell Sep 2027 One-Year Rehan Ahmed, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Mark Wood, Matthew Potts, Phil Salt, Jamie Overton, Saqib Mahmood, Luke Wood, Shoaib Bashir, Liam Dawson, Sonny Baker Sep 2026 Development Josh Hull, Eddie Jack, Tom Lawes, Mitchell Stanley 2025/26 Those who were not offered new contracts included six senior players: Jonny Bairstow, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, and Chris Woakes, who retired. ECB's Plan for the Future Men's cricket director Rob Key insisted the multi-year contracts at play assist the ECB in managing workloads and retaining top talent in the face of increasing global franchise league competition. "This structure allows us to support our players properly while maintaining strong squads across formats," said Key. Adil Rashid's deal indicates he will play through the 2027 ODI World Cup, while Jos Buttler and Sam Curran also signed two-year extensions. Others, like Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope, have only been awarded one-year deals, suggesting that the selectors may be prepared to make changes should England struggle in this summer's Ashes series.