England batter James Vince has criticized the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) over its controversial No-Objection Certificate (NOC) policy, accusing the governing body of double standards. The policy was introduced in November by the board. Its marquee feature is that it restricts players from participating in overseas competitions that overlap with the English domestic season, such as the Pakistan Super League (PSL), while granting an exemption for the Indian Premier League (IPL). The policy has drawn scrutiny for its apparent favoritism towards certain leagues. Latest addition amongst critics of the board’s controversial policy is Vince who has launched a vehement criticism over the new rule.
James Vince alleges ECB’s favoritism towards the IPL
Vince has been a part of the England squad which won the 2019 ODI World Cup and has been the skipper of Hampshire in English county cricket. However, the 33-year-old has played domestic cricket for a number of teams in several T20 leagues. His association with the PSL stretches back to the 2016 season when he was signed by Karachi Kings. The England batter has featured in every single season since.
His relation with Pakistan’s elite T20 league was the reason behind his frustration with the ECB’s decision. Pointing out double standards from ECB over not granting players NOCs to play in the PSL, Vince lashed out at the board during a discussion with ESPNcricinfo.
“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. So, that was a big one where it just didn’t seem right,” Vince said.
Vince further speculated that the differing treatment of the IPL and PSL could be linked to the ECB’s relationships with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He suggested that politics might be influencing the ECB’s decision-making process, with external factors potentially shaping its policies.
“I guess it’s got to be something to do with relationships between the ECB, PCB, and BCCI.” Vince opined, pointing out favoritism inside ECB.
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Vince bid farewell to Test cricket to focus on white-ball format
Additionally, Vince has announced his retirement from Test cricket recently. His decision was largely driven by family considerations. After unexplained attacks on their home in Hampshire last year, his wife, Amy, and their two young children have decided to relocate to Dubai. This move made it impractical for Vince to continue playing in the County Championship, particularly as committing to the full English domestic season would have significant tax implications.
However, the 33-year-old has pointed out that the NOC policy of the ECB was also the driving force behind his decision to quit red-ball cricket. Vince further warned that due to the ECB’s decision, more players would opt to go out of the English domestic circuit and play league cricket overseas.
“When they first mentioned it, a WhatsApp group of players was created and there was a lot of discussion,” the initial feeling was that it was going to drive people away from red-ball cricket. It felt like it was going to limit opportunities. Players were frustrated by it… There were a few things in there that [we] didn’t really understand,” Vince mentioned.
Vince’s Test cricket career with the national team was short lived. The explosive batter played only 13 Test matches for England and scored 548 runs for his national side.
