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England has banned players from appearing in the Pakistan Super League and other franchise leagues that conflict with the domestic summer, although an exception continues to be made for the Indian Premier League.
This change could seriously damage the earning potential of English players during the home season and creates the risk that some players will turn their backs on the red-ball game to play abroad. But the ECB believes that the new approach will preserve the quality of the national game.
In October, Telegraph sport revealed that the England and Wales Cricket Board plans to stop granting no-objection certificates for competitions that overlap with the English summer, unless the player has a white-ball contract uniquely.
The ECB will also stop allowing players to participate in competitions that overlap with Vitality Blast and The Hundred. The board also confirmed that players will be banned from leagues suspected of corruption and prevented from benefiting from “double dipping” – moving to a new tournament after being eliminated from another competition taking place at the same time.
The policy will leave players in a difficult position
The new policies were ratified by the ECB board at a meeting on Wednesday. It comes at a tumultuous time for the sport, with an increasingly relentless schedule. More than 20 major short-format franchise competitions will take place in 2024, and the number is expected to increase further in the coming years.
The new policy could leave some players in a tricky position between maximizing their winnings and being available for all formats of the game. Saqib Mahmood, who played on England’s recent limited-overs tour of the Caribbean, has signed a white-ball only contract with Lancashire for next season – which could see him play in the PSL.
Historically, minor domestic major cricket has come up against the heart of the English summer. But next year the T20 Blast and Hundred will be played alongside Major League Cricket, Canada’s World T20 League and the Sri Lanka Premier League, with the Caribbean Premier League then starting in late August. As has been the case since 2008, the IPL will clash with the start of the English summer, with England long accepting of players skipping domestic matches to appear in the world’s most lucrative league.
Next year, the PSL will also take place in April, further intensifying the competition for talent. Without any action from the ECB, there were fears that a dozen or more English players could play in Pakistan, thereby detracting from the quality of the county championship.
This year, Jason Roy missed the T20 Blast matches for Surrey to appear in Major League Cricket and the Caribbean Premier League. Alex Hales missed the Blast matches for Nottinghamshire to appear in the Lanka Premier League. Players – even those who no longer play first-class cricket – would not be allowed to miss England domestic white-ball matches under the new policy.
“We must also protect the integrity of our sport and the strength of our competitions in England and Wales,” said Richard Gould, chief executive of the ECB.
“This policy provides clarity to professional players and counties regarding our approach to issuing No Objection Certificates. This will allow us to strike the right balance between supporting players who want to pursue opportunities to win and gain experience, whilst protecting the integrity of cricket globally, ensuring that we do not undermine in our own ECB competitions and managing the welfare of central players. English players under contract.
In 2023, 74 England-qualified men’s players participated in franchise tournaments across the world – a record for any country.
