In a recent development, England's Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler have signed two-year central contracts with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The contracts, which were introduced in 2023, cover both red-ball and white-ball players and take into consideration their likelihood of featuring in England teams in the next period. Rising star Jamie Smith has also been awarded a two-year contract, while players like Phil Salt, Olly Stone, Shoaib Bashir and Will Jacks have one-year deals.