Teenage fast-bowler Mahika Gaur has been awarded a first full England women's central contract among a list of 17 players signed by the ECB for 2025 and beyond.
Gaur has had her contract upgraded from a development contract alongside fellow pacer Lauren Filer, who also signed a one-year deal. The 18-year-old has only featured on one England tour this year, as she has taken time out to complete her A Level exams. Gaur has played five T20Is for England since making her debut in 2023, but hasn't featured in the ODI side for over a year. She previously represented UAE women in the T20I format, making her senior debut in 2019 aged just 12.
The other news from the announcement is that seven players have signed multi-year deals for the first time. The move comes in tandem with England men, who have also switched to a multi-year contract system. Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amy Jones, Lauren Bell, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge have all signed two-year deals.
Read more: WPL 2025: Full list of overseas players registered for the auction
Three players have also been awarded developmental contracts, which are given to players team management feel will play a pivotal role for the team in the future. Issy Wong is among the names on the development contract roster, she has played three matches for England over the last 12 months after working through issues with her action following her initial stint in the side in 2022.
Managing director of England women's cricket and former England captain Clare Connor said in relation to the contract announcement: "This is another landmark year in terms of increased remuneration for England Women. We have been able to make another significant increase in the value of central contracts on the back of last year’s equalisation of men’s and women’s international match fees across all formats. We continue to work positively with the England Women’s Player Partnership (EWPP) and the PCA and are grateful for both their support and challenge in these matters."
England women central contracts list 2024/25
Two-year contracts
Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amy Jones, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Lauren Filer
One-year contracts
Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Sophia Dunkley, Lauren Filer, Mahika Gaur, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Freya Kemp
Skills/development contracts
Ryanna MacDonald-Gay, Bess Heath, Issy Wong
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
