Thursday 29 September 2016 2:13 pm

Joe Root set for £1m pay deal as England cricket chiefs confirm biggest shake-up to central contract system for more than a decade

Sports Editor

England cricket chiefs have confirmed the biggest shake-up to the way that the country’s centrally-contracted players are paid for more than a decade.

The England and Wales Cricket Board have for the first time awarded central contracts to regulars in the one-day team as well as those in the Test side.

Mainstays of both teams, such as Joe Root, are set to receive two contracts. The Yorkshire batsman’s combined salary is anticipated to be around £1m, if he continues to star for England.

Root is one of four players to be centrally contracted for both forms, along with all-rounders Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes.

Both contracts are also incentivised, with performance-related factors and an off-field contribution metric used to calculate each players’ pay.

ECB director of cricket Andrew Strauss said:

“We believe the restructure of the central contract system will recognise the increased focus of the shorter format and the importance that we place on this as we continue our progress towards hosting the 2019 World Cup.

“The international game is evolving rapidly, and we have to keep pace with developments on the field. Our game wide strategy sets out the objective of creating balance between the formats, and this is reflected by the restructure of central contracts.”

Root’s county colleague Jonny Bairstow has been added to the list of Test players on central contracts in recognition of his successful summer, in which he proved England most prolific five-day batsman.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that bowlers James Anderson and Mark Wood will miss the tour of Bangladesh through injury.

England are due to arrive in the subcontinent on Friday but will be without stalwart Anderson, who needs to rest a shoulder problem, and Wood, who has suffered a recurrence of an ankle injury.