KARACHI: England pacer James Vince has raised concerns over the England and Wales Cricket Board’s No Objection Certificate (NOC) policy, criticizing restrictions on participation in overseas leagues, including the Pakistan Super League (PSL), during the domestic English Premier League. season, with exemptions given to the Indian Premier League (IPL).
After Karachi Kings retained their Premier League title, Vince pointed out the “double standards” in the approach taken by the ECB.
“The PSL is a shorter competition, so if you’re going to play in it, you’ll probably miss domestic cricket less than if you were going to the IPL,” Vince said. “That doesn’t seem right,” he added.
The ECB policy, introduced in November last year, restricts players from participating in overseas leagues that conflict with the English summer, including the PSL, Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and Major League Cricket (MLC).
However, players can obtain NOCs for the IPL, despite it overlapping with the county championship season.
“I think it has to do with the relations between the ECB, the PCB and the Bank of Credit and Commerce International,” Vince predicted.
Vince announced last year that he would be leaving red-ball cricket and stepping down as captain of the Hampshire club to focus exclusively on white-ball cricket for the 2025 season, enabling him to take part in the PSL.
He pointed out that the financial disparity between local contracts and franchise associations influenced his decision.
“You’re talking about very large amounts of money in terms of what players are giving up by playing red-ball cricket,” he said. “Particularly in their careers, when there is such a big difference in those numbers, I’m sure that more and more people “They will go this way.”
The new PSL window in April and May clashed with the County Championship, forcing Vince to renegotiate the final year of his contract with Hampshire. “I know we had some dialogue with our owners and team management in Karachi. They were concerned about selecting someone in the draft and then being denied an oil NOC.”
Initially, the ECB planned to ban players from any overseas league that interfered with county championship matches. However, after pressure from players, agents and the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), the position was relaxed, allowing some exceptions. Despite this, the IPL’s unique dispensation continues to raise questions.
“If 25 or 30 other English players on decent contracts (in the Premier League) were selected, whether there would be more people who would give up their red-ball contracts to accept that offer,” Vince wondered. “It didn’t help the English local players in the draft either.”
Vince’s decision to focus on white-ball cricket and participate in the PSL highlights the growing trend among players who are prioritizing lucrative franchise tournaments over traditional formats. As franchise opportunities expand globally, financial incentives often outweigh local contract rewards.
As more players question the ECB’s National Olympic Committee policy and its effects on their careers, the Board faces increasing pressure to address perceived discrepancies and ensure fair opportunities for all formats and tournaments.
According to a report, England players have sought clarification from the ECB over their No Objection Certificates after they signed to play in the PSL Draft on January 13.
While James Vince is part of Karachi Kings, Chris Jordan and David Willey have been drafted to play for Multan Sultans. Tom Koehler-Cadmore will wear the Peshawar Zalmi jersey while Sam Billings and Tom Curran will play for Lahore Qalandars.