LONDON (AP) — England has signed its leading men's players to multi-year central contracts for the first time in a bid to meet the challenge presented by franchise leagues around the world and guarantee the availability of its star names for international duty.

The revised approach by the England and Wales Cricket Board tied Joe Root, Harry Brook and Mark Wood to three-year deals while a further 15 players have two-year arrangements, the governing body said Tuesday.

Test captain Ben Stokes, meanwhile, is among a list of eight players on traditional one-year contracts, having reportedly been offered a deal for three years.

Stokes might be the most important player in the England set-up because of his transformational leadership of the test team. He played a starring role in England's title triumph at last year’s T20 World Cup and came out of ODI retirement to take part in the current Cricket World Cup.

The central contracts do not prevent players from taking up lucrative T20 deals, but they do allow the ECB greater oversight on availability.

Jofra Archer has signed for two more years, which is a show of faith after his long-running fitness problems.

Jason Roy, who terminated the remainder of his previous deal to play Major League Cricket in the United States this year, is a notable omission. Roy missed out on the World Cup squad and his international career appears to be over.

“We are rewarding those players who we expect to make a significant impact over the coming years playing for England," said Rob Key, managing director of England men’s cricket. “It is great news and a credit to the players for demonstrating their commitment to English cricket in the ever-changing landscape of the sport."

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