England ban players from participating in franchise leagues ahead of PSL

LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has imposed a ban on national cricketers from participating in franchise leagues across the world except for the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) that clash with the domestic season, English media reported on Friday.

As per the report, the decision was taken to preserve the quality and competitiveness of England’s domestic cricket.

The decision may result in a significant decline in England players’ participation in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), whose next edition will collide with their domestic season due to the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.

Furthermore, the cricket board will also prohibit players from participating in any tournament, which dates coincide with England’s domestic leagues – T20 Blast and The Hundred. The players with white-ball-only contracts, however, would be the exception.

The new policy will also restrict England players from registering for multiple franchise leagues in the same time-frame, a practice known as “double-dipping”.

The move would result in a significant financial loss to England players but ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould remained committed to protect the integrity of the sport by strengthening England’s domestic structure.

“We need to protect the integrity of our sport and the strength of our competitions in England and Wales as well,” said Richard Gould, ECB chief executive.

“This policy gives clarity to players and professional counties around our approach to issuing No Objection Certificates. It will enable us to strike the right balance between supporting players who want to take up opportunities to earn and gain experience, while also protecting the integrity of cricket globally, ensuring we don’t undermine our own ECB competitions, and managing the welfare of centrally contracted England players.”

For the unversed, England contribute the greatest number of players in leagues around the world. In 2023, a total of 74 England-qualified players participated in franchise tournaments, the highest by a nation.