ECB Test Match central contracts - Summer 2002
The ECB today announced 11 players who have been awarded Test Match centralcontracts for the 2002 domestic season.
ECB Media Release
10-Apr-2002
The ECB today announced 11 players who have been awarded Test Match central
contracts for the 2002 domestic season. The names are as follows:
Nasser Hussain (Captain) Essex 28.3.68 Mark Butcher Surrey 23.8.72 Andrew Caddick Somerset 21.11.68 Andrew Flintoff Lancashire 6.12.77 James Foster Essex 15.4.80 Ashley Giles Warwickshire 19.3.73 Darren Gough Yorkshire 18.9.70 Matthew Hoggard Yorkshire 31.12.76 Graham Thorpe Surrey 1.8.69 Marcus Trescothick Somerset 25.12.75 Michael Vaughan Yorkshire 29.10.74
Chairman of Selectors, David Graveney, said, "The Selectors understand that
budget constraints mean that ECB cannot grant more than 12 Test Contracts
for the forthcoming summer. However we are finding it increasingly
difficult to maintain the consistency of selection and the improved team
ethos that we have achieved over the last couple of years working within
this constraint and we are keen to see an increase in the number of
contracted players as soon as possible. The purpose of the naming of 11
players at this stage is to assist the Counties in their early season
preparations and to fulfil the Head Coach's wishes for certain players to
rest after this winter's commitments. Both Duncan Fletcher and I look
forward to meeting senior representatives of the ECB to discuss our
aspirations for the future with regard to the contracting system."
John Carr, ECB Director of Cricket Operations, said, "The Board fully
understands the Selectors' desire to move to the central contracting of a
larger squad of England players and at its forthcoming meeting, the
International Teams Management Group is scheduled to be fine-tuning a paper
recommending this change for implementation from September 2002. The paper
is due to be presented to the ECB First Class Forum on 13 May."
With regard to the selection of James Foster, David Graveney said, "We have
been very happy with James's efforts over the winter. The situation has
been explained to Alec Stewart and I can confirm that he will not be
excluded from future discussions regarding Team selection."
Players awarded a central contract who were involved in only the Test Match
OR ODI squads during the winter (Gough, Butcher) will be available to play
for their Counties from the beginning of the season.
Players awarded a central contract who were involved in BOTH Test and ODI squads during the majority of the winter (Hussain, Trescothick, Vaughan,
Thorpe, Flintoff, Foster, Caddick, Hoggard, Giles) will be available to play
for their counties in the final two Benson & Hedges Cup group matches and
the Frizzell County Championship match from 8-11 May.
No player selected for the first npower Test Match against Sri Lanka will be
available for the Norwich Union League matches on Sunday 12 May.