English players are seeking clarity from the ECB over whether they will be granted No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) after they were signed to play in the PSL at Monday’s draft in Lahore.
The new policy will see players denied NOCs for all overseas leagues that take place during the English summer, including the PSL, the CPL and MLC – with the notable exception of the IPL. Players on white-ball contracts with their counties will be granted NOCs for competitions that do not clash with the T20 Blast or the Hundred.
The ECB initially planned to block players with any provision for red-ball appearances from missing County Championship fixtures to play overseas, but have since softened their stance after pressure from players, their agents and the PCA. At this stage, Billings, Curran, Jordan and Willey are all expected to be granted NOCs for the PSL.
The board’s stance is that its NOC “consultation group” will consider all requests against the criteria set out in November. ESPNcricinfo understands that in the case of the PSL, this will mean players will be eligible for NOCs if they are on white-ball contracts, or if they choose to renegotiate existing multi-format deals after the draft.
Kohler-Cadmore and Vince are on all-format contracts with their respective counties – Somerset and Hampshire – and both are understood to be considering their available options. The PSL is due to run from April 8 until May 19, and both players will miss at least the first six Championship games of the season if they fulfil their PSL deals.
A PCA spokesperson said: “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.”
