English players seek NOC clarity for HBL PSL

English cricketers are seeking clarification from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) about No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) after being contracted to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) during the draft on Monday in Lahore.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Peshawar Zalmi), Sam Billings and Tom Curran (both Lahore Qalandars) were drafted in Monday's event, while James Vince (Karachi Kings), Chris Jordan and David Willey (both Multan Sultans) were retained from previous seasons.

The PSL's scheduling has moved to an April-May window for 2025, causing a potential clash with the beginning of the English cricket season.

The ECB's recent policy change, announced in late November, has sparked outrage among players. Chief Executive Richard Gould stated that the policy was designed to "defend our game."

The Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) expressed disappointment, claiming that their sense of "genuine collaboration" with the ECB had diminished.

The new policy restricts players from receiving NOCs for overseas leagues during the English summer, including the PSL, Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and Major League Cricket (MLC), with the notable exception of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Players on white-ball contracts with counties are still eligible for NOCs for competitions that do not overlap with the T20 Blast or The Hundred.

Initially, the ECB had planned to prevent players with red-ball commitments from missing County Championship fixtures to play in overseas leagues, but following pressure from players, agents and the PCA, the board has softened its stance.

As it stands, Billings, Curran, Jordan and Willey are expected to receive NOCs for the PSL.

The ECB's NOC "consultation group" will review requests according to the policy introduced in November.

It is understood that, for the PSL, players on white-ball contracts or those who renegotiate existing multi-format deals after the draft may be eligible for NOCs.

Kohler-Cadmore and Vince, both on all-format contracts with Somerset and Hampshire, are evaluating their options.

The PSL is set to run from April 8 to May 19, meaning both players could miss at least the first six Championship matches of the season if they commit to their PSL contracts.

It is worth noting that six England central contract players had registered for the PSL draft but were marked as "unavailable" after the ECB confirmed it would not grant them NOCs.

This group includes Jonny Bairstow, who has not played for England since June and Adil Rashid, a white-ball specialist.

A spokesperson from the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) issued a statement in response to the announcement of the new No-Objection Certificate (NOC) policy and its proposed implementation.

"Following the announcement of the NOC policy and its proposed implementation, the PCA has been engaging with its members, legal team and the ECB, collectively representing current players to find solutions on restrictions. Progress has been made across a number of implementation areas, however, each NOC request is on a case-by-case basis and there remains ongoing consultation."

It is worth mentioning here that, England's hard-hitting opener Jason Roy, who holds the record of smashing the highest-individual score in the history of league, alongside compatriot Alex Hales, Afghanistan's Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan, rounded off the list of unpicked players in the PSL 10 player draft.