Ali, Buttler, Stokes among six England players to be awarded first central contracts

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Thursday that Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes are among the six England players to have been awarded their first central contracts.

The other new names joining players such as fast bowler James Anderson and captain Alastair Cook on the 12-man list of centrally contracted players are Gary Ballance, Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes.

National selector James Whitaker said that they have been hugely encouraged by the rapid development of a host of younger players in the last year, and this is reflected in a total of six players being awarded 12-month central contracts for the first time, Sport24 reported.

Kevin Pietersen was one of five players to lose central-contract status, along with Tim Bresnan, Jonathan Trott, Matt Prior and Graeme Swann.

Pietersen was axed by the ECB following England's Ashes whitewash defeat, while Prior has been dogged by injury and Swann has retired.

Bresnan and Trott, who has been battling a stress-related illness, are the only two players to lose their central contracts who are currently fit and playing regular county cricket.

Despite a difficult year, Steven Finn has retained his full contract, while Ravi Bopara, Alex Hales, Eoin Morgan, Liam Plunkett and James Tredwell have been kept on increment deals, the report added.

The centrally contracted England players are:

Mohammad Ali, James Anderson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Steven Finn, Chris Jordan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes.