Earlier today, the ECB (English Cricket Board) have announced the list of their central contracts for 2022-23. Surprisingly only 18 players have made it to the main list which is two less than what was announced last year. The total number of players who have been extended a contract has gone up from 27 to 30 as compared to last year. Surprisingly two of their mainstays Dawid Malan and Jason Roy are missing out. Roy has continued to remain in a rough patch and it was almost certain that he would miss out.
As far as Malan is concerned, things have been pretty weird. The left-handed batter had broken back in the Test squad when the last contracts were announced but as of now, he finds himself on the sidelines. Roy, on the other hand, has been extremely poor and as of now, he averages 24.20 in ODIs and 19.04 in T20s. In his previous six appearances for England, Roy managed to score just 78 odd runs. Things look pretty bleak for Malan too as he still is not England's choice for the 50-over format. Apart from Malan and Roy, Surrey opener Rory Burns too has been ignored by the cricket board.
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English wicketkeeper-batsman Ben Foakes has earned his first central contract owing to a spectacular show in the English summer against sides like New Zealand, South Africa, and India. The prolific batter Liam Livingstone has made it to the main list for the first time. The other player now without a deal is Eoin Morgan, who retired from international cricket in June. The English Cricket Board has also shown a lot of faith in speedster Jofra Archer and have continued to feature him on their main list despite a prolonged elbow injury.
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The number of increment contracts has increased from four to six, but players like Chris Jordan, Tom Curran, and Dom Bess haven't received any kind of ECB deal. David Willey has been added to the list and features the likes of Harry Brook, Matthew Potts, and Reece Topley. Each one of them have earned their first central contract. The omission of Malan and Jordan have come as a surprise as they continue to feature in the white ball games in almost every format. Surprisingly both are a part of England's T20 World Cup squad that is stationed in Australia as of now.
