Alex Lees' England career is in danger of coming to an end after just ten Test matches, with the opener left off the list of central contract recipients.
England have handed out 18 full central contracts, six incremental deals and six pace bowling development contracts, but Lees was conspicuous by his absence on the list of 30 players. Managing Director of England Men's Cricket Rob Key said those offered deals will "play a pivotal role in England's efforts over the next 12 months", meaning Lees is facing a nervous wait to see if he makes the squad for the upcoming tour of Pakistan.
This summer, Lees scored 327 runs at an average of 25.15 across seven Tests, while his opening partner Zak Crawley made 276 at 23.00 in the same period. Despite the pair's struggles, Key insisted ahead of the final Test of the summer against South Africa that they would be given "a proper go" at the top of the order after England's struggles to find replacements for Sir Andrew Strauss and Sir Alastair Cook.
