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English cricketers are seeking clarity from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) regarding the issuance of No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) after being picked to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) during Monday's draft in Lahore.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Peshawar Zalmi), Sam Billings, and Tom Curran (both Lahore Qalandars) were among those signed in the draft, while James Vince (Karachi Kings), Chris Jordan, and David Willey (Multan Sultans) were already retained. The 2025 PSL has shifted to an April-May schedule, creating a direct conflict with the start of the English domestic season for the first time. The ECB's recent NOC policy, introduced in late November, has caused frustration among players. ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould stated the policy was meant to protect English cricket. Under the new policy, players will not receive NOCs for overseas leagues during the English summer, such as the PSL, Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and Major League Cricket (MLC), except for the Indian Premier League (IPL). Players with white-ball county contracts may still obtain NOCs for leagues that don't overlap with the T20 Blast or the Hundred. Initially, the ECB aimed to prevent players with red-ball contracts from skipping County Championship matches for overseas leagues. However, following pressure from players, agents, and the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA), the board has softened its stance. Players like Billings, Curran, Jordan, and Willey are currently expected to secure NOCs for the PSL. The ECB's NOC consultation group is set to assess requests based on criteria established in November. For the PSL, this includes players on white-ball contracts or those willing to renegotiate multi-format deals post-draft. Kohler-Cadmore (Somerset) and Vince (Hampshire), both on all-format contracts, are evaluating their options as fulfilling their PSL commitments would mean missing at least the first six County Championship games of the season. The PSL is scheduled to run from April 8 to May 19. Meanwhile, six centrally contracted England players had registered for the draft but were marked "unavailable" after the ECB made it clear they would not grant NOCs. This group included Jonny Bairstow, who hasn't played for England since June, and Adil Rashid, a white-ball specialist. "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," a PCB spokesperson said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. (ANI)
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