How Much Do England Cricket Players Make?

Cricket captivates millions as its competitors go in for the ultimate title every year, and England is one especially consistent contender. In fact, England was even one of the pioneers, having joined back in 1877 and establishing world records that still stand to this very day.

Of course, it’s more than just a game for these players – they’re also professionals who are compensated for their experience and performance. But how much do members of England’s team actually make?

Types Of Cricket Contracts

Right now, the operations of each team, including the release of the list of centrally contracted players, are overseen by the English Cricket Board (ECB).

In 2023, however, it developed multi-year contracts instead of the usual incremental deals, marking a first since central contracts were implemented in 2000.

There are three types offered: one-, two-, or three-year central contracts, granted on an annual basis and assessed each September. The ECB maintains central players’ availability, which means they cannot participate in other competitions without consent from the board.

Factors Influencing Salary

Players can generally expect a range that starts at $30,000, but these figures are by no means set in stone. Several reasons influence that value:

• Central contracts – As mentioned above, central contracts let the ECB pay players based on different grades.
• Performance – Naturally, players who consistently perform well will receive higher salaries. It’s not just a reward of sorts, but it’s also an incentive to keep them wanting to remain with their team.
• Experience and skill level – Just like with any other industry, experience and skill level will lead to better performance, which leads to higher pay.
• Endorsements – If a player can gain popular endorsements, raise brand awareness, and actually convert customers, they’ll have incredible potential to boost their earnings to great amounts.
• Format of the game – Players with Test contracts may earn as much as £650,000 a year, whilst White Ball contracts allow a maximum of £300,000. But players with both can earn the full amount of each.

Who Has Been Granted Multi-Year Deals?

Full contracts can be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, on top of which players can earn even more through bonuses. The following players have been granted multi-year deals since the most recent set began in October:

• Three-Year – Mark Wood, Joe Root, Harry Brook
• Two-Year – Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Rehan Ahmed, Adil Rashid, Ollie Pope, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jonny Bairstow, Matthew Potts, Jos Buttler

Development contracts were also awarded; these are typically given to players still proving themselves.

How Much Can Players Make?

With a central contract, a cricket player featured across all three formats could earn nearly a million pounds before match fees, but the average is a fair bit lower than that; new and inexperienced players may earn as little as £28,000 but quickly climb up as they improve.

Highest Paid Cricket Players In England

Even if you’re only a casual fan of cricket, the players on this list are all the ones you’ve heard of before, so it should come as no surprise to learn that they’re the most sponsored and highest paid. Likewise, they’re the players you can expect have the most favourable odds on GamStop and not on GamStop UK online bookmakers:

Ben Stokes

Perhaps the best all-rounder in the entire world, Ben Stokes has been crucial to England. It’s no wonder he’s earning a $3.36 million salary, considering the value he brings.

Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler is yet another important English player. The white ball captain is the second-highest paid on the squad as he earns a $2.60 million salary.

Jofra Archer

Jofra Archer is the third-highest paid cricket player in England and the highest-paid bowler on the entire team thanks to his participation in test on top of his white ball contract. He played a key role in the 2019 Ashes, delivering deadly blows with hard length bowling, earning him his salary of $2.56 million.

Jonny Bairstow

Playing a prominent role in both white ball cricket and test cricket, Jonny Bairstow has served as the main opening batsman for England with fantastic performances. His accomplishments have earned him the spot as fourth-highest paid English cricket player with a $1.88 million salary.

Joe Root

England recognises the value of its hardest-hitting players, regardless of where they put their efforts. Perhaps that is no better highlighted than test batter Joe Root’s compensation, amounting to a $1.81 million salary. The fifth-highest player doesn’t usually play ODI or T20I so as to avoid injuries, but he nevertheless enhances England’s team in multitudes.