England's England Women's team has awarded full central contracts to 17 players, including Hampshire's Linsey Smith. The players will receive a one-year contract, while four of them have been given skills contracts.
Left-arm spinner Linsey Smith, who is 30 years old, has earned her first central contract after playing in 34 one-day and T20 internationals for England. She is the only new player to earn a full central contract this year.
Four players - all-rounder Em Arlott and batter Emma Lamb - have been awarded skills contracts, which allow the ECB to manage their workload and development in collaboration with their county sides.
The team will host next year's T20 World Cup. England Women's Cricket Team was knocked out of the semi-finals in October by South Africa.
England Women's managing director Clare Connor said that she is confident in the team for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup on home soil. The new central contract reflects this confidence, and it also marks a change from last year when the two-year deals were extended to some players.
Left-arm spinner Linsey Smith, who is 30 years old, has earned her first central contract after playing in 34 one-day and T20 internationals for England. She is the only new player to earn a full central contract this year.
Four players - all-rounder Em Arlott and batter Emma Lamb - have been awarded skills contracts, which allow the ECB to manage their workload and development in collaboration with their county sides.
The team will host next year's T20 World Cup. England Women's Cricket Team was knocked out of the semi-finals in October by South Africa.
England Women's managing director Clare Connor said that she is confident in the team for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup on home soil. The new central contract reflects this confidence, and it also marks a change from last year when the two-year deals were extended to some players.
so they're giving these girls more cash now? think that's a good move, all the young players need that financial stability to focus on their game. 17 full central contracts is a lot, but i guess it shows how important england women's cricket is becoming. linsey smith is definitely due for some big things after this 
. and yeah, hosting the t20 world cup next year will be huge for england, can't wait to see them in action on home soil 
! Reminds me of when I used to watch the likes of Charlotte Edwards and Laura Macdonald back in the day, you know? They were the ones who paved the way for this new generation. Linsey Smith's achievement is especially cool, she's like a role model now 
...not that I'm biased or anything 
. It's great to see the ECB recognizing their talent and investing in them. Fingers crossed they can bring home that T20 World Cup trophy next year! Maybe this time they'll have a better run than last year, eh?
just thinking about Linsey Smith getting her first central contract makes me think of how awesome it is for women's cricket to be getting more recognition! 17 full contracts? That's crazy! I mean, we know the team has been doing great, hosting that T20 World Cup next year and all, but to see players like Linsey getting their due is just amazing 
Now I'm thinking about how it's not just about the individual players, but also about how this shows England Women's team is ready for big things... did we really get knocked out of semi-finals in Oct tho? 
. linsey smith is all i can think about right now 
i drew a little diagram of her bowling action just now 
. and hosting the t20 world cup next year is gonna bring in so much buzz 
. lets hope they can do justice to themselves and england 
- I'm hopin' they can do some damage and bring home a trophy! The skills contracts are a great way to manage player workload too, so it's win-win for everyone involved. Here's to the ladies of English cricket, bringin' home that gold medal in '26 
. They're trying to shift our attention away from the real issues... like who's really in control of the ECB? I mean, 17 players get full central contracts and we're supposed to be celebrating that 
? Meanwhile, the rest of us are just left wondering why we don't have a say in how our money is being spent 
. And what's with all these skills contracts? Sounds like they're trying to control every aspect of these players' lives 
... I'm not buying it 
.
️ Fingers crossed they can take it all the way and bring home that trophy!
Can't believe they're giving out contracts like that! I mean, I get it, Linsey Smith deserves it after all those matches she's played for England, but 17 newbies?! 
What's going on? Are the old-timers getting left behind? I remember when contracts were just a simple deal, now it's like they're trying to reward everyone equally. And what about the team's performance? They get knocked out in semi-finals last year... are they really ready for the T20 World Cup next year?! 
So England's women's team just gave out these fancy contracts, huh? I mean, good for them, I guess... 17 players gettin' paid, yaaas... but let's be real, it's about time they stepped up their game. I mean, comin' in third place at the last T20 World Cup? Not exactly the most impressive feat... 
And now they're gonna host next year's tournament? That's like puttin' all your eggs in one basket... hope they can actually pull it off! 
But hey, Linsey Smith gettin' a central contract is cool, I guess. She's been around for a bit, but still not exactly lightin' up the scoreboard... 
Four skills contracts? That sounds like a fancy way of sayin' "we're not sure what you'll do with your lives"... just kiddin', sorta! 