A brewing storm in English cricket has seen around 50 top players consider boycotting next year’s Hundred tournament in protest against the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) new restrictions on playing in overseas franchise leagues.
At the heart of the controversy lies the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which has been directly impacted by the ECB’s revised “no-objection certificate” (NOC) policy.
The ECB recently announced that NOCs will not be issued for tournaments overlapping with the English summer unless players are on white-ball-only county contracts.
This decision directly affects the PSL, which has shifted to an April-May window that coincides with the Indian Premier League (IPL). While the IPL has been controversially exempted from the policy, the PSL and other leagues, such as Major League Cricket and the Caribbean Premier League, have been barred from accessing English talent during this period.
The move has sparked outrage among players, many of whom feel blindsided by the lack of consultation. The PSL, in particular, has become a lucrative opportunity for English cricketers, offering significant financial rewards and high-quality competition.
Players like Jonny Bairstow, who are likely to receive a substantial PSL offer, are now unable to participate due to their red-ball contracts, even though they are not currently in England’s Test plans. Similarly, white-ball specialists like Luke Wood and Saqib Mahmood, who have flexible county contracts, are also barred from playing in the PSL.
According to various reports, the PSL is set to offer lucrative contracts for top tier talent in the upcoming season, with potential earning rising up to $350,000 to $400,000, which amounts to approximately 11 crore Pakistani Rupees.
The ECB’s decision to allow IPL participation while blocking the PSL has been labeled unfair, especially given the growing stature of the PSL as one of the premier T20 leagues in the world. Critics also point out that the ECB’s stance appears to prioritize its own financial interests, as it negotiates with IPL franchises over stakes in the Hundred.
The players’ potential boycott of the Hundred could create significant headaches for the ECB, which is relying on its top talent to maintain the tournament’s quality and attract investors. However, with the ECB set to increase Hundred salaries to as much as £175,000, there is concern that financial incentives could divide the players’ united front.
For now, the standoff continues, with the Professional Cricketers’ Association seeking legal advice on whether the ECB’s policy violates players’ rights.
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