What's happened
England Cricket Board has reduced the number of central contracts from 20 to 18, with Dawid Malan and Jason Roy not included in the main list.
Why it matters
The reduction in central contracts and the exclusion of Malan and Roy highlights the changing dynamics of the England cricket team and raises questions about their future roles.
What the papers say
The Guardian reports that the total number of players given any sort of contract has increased from 27 to 30, with increment contracts awarded to players on the fringe of the team. The Independent provides a similar report, mentioning that Jofra Archer has retained his central contract despite being sidelined for more than a year, while Ben Foakes and Liam Livingstone have been offered first-time deals.
How we got here
The England and Wales Cricket Board's contracts structure remains the same as last year, covering Test and limited-overs players and taking into account performances from the past 12 months and the probability of future appearances.
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Jason Jonathan Roy is a South-African-born English cricketer who plays for England in all formats, and for Surrey County Cricket Club in domestic cricket.
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Jofra Chioke Archer is a Barbadian-born English cricketer who plays internationally for England and in English domestic cricket for Sussex County Cricket Club.
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