Hampshire’s James Vince will quit red-ball cricket in 2025 to sign a lucrative Pakistan Super League contract, but the ECB will crack down on players pursuing franchise T20 contracts while on a red-ball contract with a county. revealed that.
Vince’s move comes amid a dispute between the ECB and county officials over the board’s new policy on no-objection certificates (NOCs).
So what is an NOC? Why did the ECB change its policy? And who will be most affected by this move?
What is the divide between the ECB and stakeholders?
Vince, along with a number of other English players, has sought clarity from the ECB on whether he will be allowed as an NOC to play in the Pakistan Super League and other T20 tournaments scheduled for the summer in the country.
Image: Hampshire’s James Vince will not play red-ball cricket in 2025 as he prioritizes the white-ball game
When the ECB announced a new policy on NOCs in late November, stakeholders reportedly reacted fiercely, with CEO Richard Gould saying the policy was “protecting our game.” It was said that it was intended for the purpose of
Under the new policy, players will be denied NOCs in all English summer overseas leagues, including the PSL, Caribbean Premier League and America’s Major League Cricket, with the exception of the Indian Premier League. .
What is a cricket NOC?
ICC rules require the ECB to issue NOCs to players who wish to participate in overseas tournaments. If a player does not receive an NOC for an overseas tournament, he or she will be deemed to have participated in ‘unsanctioned cricket’. The NOC must be approved by the nationally registered player’s team and the ECB (in that order). If the player’s team approves the NOC, the NOC Advisory Group will consider whether to approve the NOC. The NOC Consultative Group has the right to refuse to grant an NOC or impose conditions, particularly if the NOC “could undermine the predictability, stability or coherence of ECB competition”.
“We need to protect summer,” Gould said. “If we have players under contract, we want to encourage them to stay and play in our competition.”
The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) said at the time that it had been blindsided by the policy and that any sense of “genuine cooperation” with the ECB had been lost.
There are even threats of legal challenges over trade restrictions. “The PCA’s legal team has now completed a thorough check of the implementation of the policy,” it said in November.
Why is the ECB not allowing players to play in the PSL?
The PSL was once a popular off-season competition for English players, but the new dates of April 8 to May 19 have meant it will clash with the four-day County Championship competition .
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Islamabad United became the first team to win the Pakistan Super League three times with a thrilling victory over Multan Sultans in the 2024 final.
Players on white-ball contracts with their county will be given NOCs for competitions that do not conflict with Vitality Blast or the Hundred, while players on all-format contracts will not.
Gould said the ECB’s tougher stance on NOCs meant domestic competition would be “undermined” by foreign leagues, amid growing concerns that the domestic product would be watered down if talented players moved elsewhere. He explained that it was introduced to prevent this from happening.
After being retained by Karachi Kings in Monday’s PSL Draft, Vince was signed in all formats, including captaining the club in four-day and T20 cricket, before switching his contract to white-ball only with the announcement. It was tied. Continues on Wednesday.
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James Vince hit an incredible score of 90 off 47 balls in The Hundred for Southern Brave last summer.
The 33-year-old, who was a member of England’s 2019 World Cup-winning squad, has endured a difficult 2024 on a personal level, with his family home having been attacked several times. As a result, his family decided to move to Dubai.
Giles White, Director of Cricket at Hampshire College, said: “We know this announcement will come as a disappointment to many fans, but we are grateful for what he has given to our club over the years. We hope everyone will join us in celebrating and supporting him.” He fulfilled his promise to continue leading the Hawks in the 2025 Vitality Blast. ”
Which players are affected?
Somerset batsman Tom Kohler-Cadmore is among those who will be affected by the ECB’s new policy regarding NOCs.
Image: Somerset batsman Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who has an all-format contract, has been drafted by PSL side Peshawar Zalmi.
There are currently no changes to his all-format contract with the county, and the 30-year-old will currently miss at least the first six Championship games of the season if he fulfills his PSL contract with Peshawar Zalmi.
Four other English players, Tom Curran (Surrey), Chris Jordan (Surrey), Sam Billings (Kent) and David Willey (Northamptonshire) will also feature in the PSL, but only with their respective players and white balls. Since he has a contract with him, he will be able to participate without any problems. county.
Image: England fast bowler Chris Jordan has signed a white-ball only contract with Surrey
Several recent England internationals, including Saqib Mahmood, Luke Wood and George Garton, currently have county contracts that primarily cover white-ball cricket, but they are not eligible for ‘pay-as-you’ in the Championship. Also includes a play option.
If a player is drafted in a T20 league that coincides with the domestic summer, he will not be given an NOC unless he retires from red-ball cricket.
Six England centrally contracted players have reportedly registered for the PSL Draft but were marked as ‘unavailable’ on the longlist sent to franchises after the ECB revealed they would not be granted an NOC. marked.
That included Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid, who have not played for England since June.
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Jonny Bairstow hit nine sixes en route to his first century for Punjab Kings in IPL 2024 vs Kolkata Knight Riders.
Hussein: Balance between red and white balls is important
Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussein: “I was in Essex a few days ago and they were talking about the Vince situation and the implications of it.
“He’s not just a white-ball specialist. He’s a very good red-ball player and has been producing runs for the team for a very long time. And he’s the captain of the club.
“I think he’s probably nearing the end of his professional career so if he gets an offer of £100,000 from the PSL he might do what he can as a freelancer.
“Don’t you think the West Indies, South Africa or even New Zealand would say ‘welcome to our world’?”
“We’re just now catching up to the fact that they’re coming to us in the summer. We’re also going to have the American Franchise (MLC) in the summer.”
“This is really a battle between franchise white-ball cricket and red-ball, with red-ball costing a lot of money to host even at county level.
“It’s really a critical point at the moment, where the balance is between red-ball cricket and white-ball cricket.”
