Archer in Ashes frame as England reveal contract list

Jofra Archer has retained his England central contract despite being sidelined for more than a year while Ben Foakes and Liam Livingstone are the beneficiaries of first-time deals.

After two operations on a troublesome right elbow, Archer was set for a domestic comeback at the start of the English summer but a stress fracture in the Sussex paceman's lower back meant another lengthy absence.

Even though his return and a first international appearance since March 2021 is still a little way off, Archer is back bowling and has England's continued backing after being offered another annual deal

Their faith is well founded given Archer was renowned as one of the world's best fast bowlers in all formats before his long lay-off, starring in England's 2019 World Cup win and the Ashes that summer.

The England and Wales Cricket Board's contracts structure is the same as last year, covering Test and limited-overs players and takes into account performances from the past 12 months and the probability of who will feature over the next year, with 30 players furnished with some type of deal.

The contract period will cover next year's Ashes series in the UK, which runs from June 16, when the first Test begins in Edgbaston, until July 31 with the fifth Test at The Oval.

Foakes has cemented himself as England's Test wicketkeeper in recent months so he is one of 18 players to get a full-time contract, along with Livingstone, the KFC BBL's No.1 draft pick for the Melbourne Renegades, who is also an important cog in England's white-ball sides.

World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan drops out of the list altogether after his international retirement in June while both Jason Roy and Dawid Malan have been downgraded to incremental deals.

Roy was left out of the squad for the T20 World Cup that starts later this month after averaging under 19 with the bat, with a strike-rate of 104.04, in the shortest format this year although his place on the lower banding is a sign that he is still in their thoughts.

Malan, meanwhile, is first-choice in the T20 side but lost his Test spot after last winter's Ashes, as did opening batter Rory Burns, who has not been presented with any type of England deal.

Neither has Chris Jordan – one of three players in England's T20 World Cup squad along with Alex Hales and Phil Salt without contracts – despite being a relied upon fast bowler in the shortest format for several years.

Alex Lees, who has opened the batting in England's past 10 Tests but has averaged just 23.84 with a top-score of 67 during that time, is also conspicuous by his absence.

Batter Harry Brook, seamer Matthew Potts and left-arm duo Reece Topley and David Willey get incremental deals, while Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton and Olly Stone all hang on to their pace bowling development contracts and are joined by Brydon Carse, Matthew Fisher and Jamie Overton in an expanded pool.

2023 Qantas Ashes Tour of the UK

First Test: Friday June 16-Tuesday June 20, Edgbaston

Second Test: Wednesday June 28-Sunday July 2, Lord’s

Third Test: Thursday July 6-Monday July 10, Headingley

FourthTest: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

FifthTest: Thursday July 27-Monday 31, The Oval