England batter James Vince has raised concerns about the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) no-objection certificate (NOC) policy, criticising its restrictions on participation in overseas leagues, including the Pakistan Super League (PSL), during the English domestic season, while granting exemptions for the Indian Premier League (IPL).
After being retained by Karachi Kings in the PSL, Vince pointed out the “double standards” in the ECB’s approach.
“PSL is a shorter competition, so if you’re going to play in that, you’re probably missing less domestic cricket than if you’re going to the IPL,” Vince said. “So, that was a big one where it just didn’t seem right,” he added.
The ECB’s policy, introduced in November last year, restricts players from participating in overseas leagues that clash with the English summer, including the PSL, Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and Major League Cricket (MLC).
However, players can secure NOCs for the IPL, even though it overlaps with the County Championship season.
“I guess it’s got to be something to do with relationships between the ECB, PCB, and BCCI,” Vince speculated.
Vince announced last year that he would quit red-ball cricket and step down as Hampshire’s club captain to focus exclusively on white-ball cricket for the 2025 season, enabling him to participate in the PSL.
He indicated that the financial disparity between domestic contracts and franchise leagues influenced his decision.
“You’re talking quite large sums of money in terms of what players forego by playing red-ball cricket. Particularly further down their careers, when there’s a big difference in those numbers, I’m sure more and more people will go down that route,” he said.
The PSL’s new April-May window clashed with the County Championship, forcing Vince to renegotiate the final year of his Hampshire contract. “I know we’ve had a bit of dialogue with our owners and team management at Karachi. They were concerned about picking someone up in the draft and then the NOC being denied,” he said.
Initially, the ECB planned to block players from any overseas league that clashed with County Championship fixtures. However, after pressure from players, agents, and the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), the stance was softened, allowing some exceptions. Despite this, the IPL’s unique exemption has continued to raise questions.
“Had another 25, 30 English players been picked up on decent contracts [in the PSL], whether there would have been more people forgoing their red-ball contracts to take up that offer,” Vince pondered. “It didn’t help English domestic players in the draft either.”
Vince’s decision to focus on white-ball cricket and participate in the PSL highlights a growing trend among players prioritizing lucrative franchise leagues over traditional formats. With franchise opportunities expanding globally, the financial incentives often outweigh the rewards of domestic contracts.
As more players question the ECB’s NOC policy and its implications for their careers, the board faces increasing pressure to address the perceived inconsistencies and ensure fair opportunities for all formats and leagues.
According to a report, England players had sought clarity from the ECB on their NOCs after they were signed to play in the PSL draft on January 13th.
While James Vince is part of Karachi Kings, Cris Jordan and David Willey are drafted to play for Multan Sultans. Tom Kohler Cadmore will don Peshawar Zalmi’s jersey while Sam Billings and Tom Curran will be up for Lahore Qalandars.
