Cricket - Fourth T20 International - England v Pakistan - The Oval, London, Britain - May 30, 2024 England's Jos Buttler in action Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs/File Photo
(Reuters) - England's white-ball captain Jos Buttler joined test skipper Ben Stokes in extending his central contract, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced on Wednesday.
Buttler, who is injured and not part of England's white-ball tour of the West Indies, was one year into an existing two-year deal.
"The strength and depth of talent across England men's red and white-ball cricket is clear in the quality of players who are centrally contracted," managing director of England men's cricket, Rob Key, said in a statement.
"These contracts reward the players we believe will play an important role for our England men's teams. Both our captains, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, have signed two-year central contracts that showcase the commitment of all the players to prioritise playing for their country."
A total of 29 players have England men central contracts -- seven of those key figures on a two-year deal.
Last year, Stokes turned down a three-year deal when the ECB offered multi-year contracts for the first time, electing to sign on for just 12 months.
Earlier this month, however, Stokes confirmed his new deal will take him through to 2026, including the away Ashes in Australia next winter, with Buttler also signed up for the same period.
(Reporting by Peter Hall; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
