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Two England cricket contracts for Archer

England's Jofra Archer's impressive debut international season has been rewarded with two contracts.
England's Jofra Archer's impressive debut international season has been rewarded with two contracts. Credit: AP

Jofra Archer's instrumental performances for England in the World Cup and Ashes have led to the paceman being awarded Test and white-ball central contracts for the first time.

Archer followed up being England's leading wicket-taker in their triumphant World Cup campaign with 22 scalps at an average of 20.27 in four Tests against Australia, while he routinely touched speeds in the 145kph range in scintillating debut international summer.


Spin duo Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid have lost their central Test contracts but are in a list of 12, also including Joe Denly, to be handed white-ball deals.

Moeen was dropped from the World Cup squad towards the end of the group stage before a dismal showing in the Ashes opener, where the all-rounder contributed four runs across two innings and bowled modestly on a helpful Edgbaston surface, led to him being left out of the remainder of the series.

Rashid was a regular for England in the Test side last summer but lost his place during the winter tour of the West Indies and was unused against Australia - although he is a regular in Eoin Morgan's white-ball set-up.

Archer's late inclusion in England's World Cup squad came at the expense of Yorkshire left-armer David Willey, while Nottinghamshire batsman Alex Hales was omitted after serving a suspension for recreational drug use.

Both players have missed out on white-ball deals, though limited-overs captain Morgan retains his despite admitting shortly after the World Cup win that he was yet to decide his future.

Somerset spinner Jack Leach, who has replaced Moeen in the Test side, and Tom Curran, an unused squad member in the World Cup, have been given incremental contracts starting on October 1 and spanning a 12-month period.


White-ball contracts: Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Joe Denly, Eoin Morgan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.