A gaggle of fifty prime England cricketers could boycott subsequent 12 months’s Hundred competitors in protest in opposition to the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) adjustments to its No-Objection Certificates (NOC) coverage, which gamers want to participate in franchise tournaments, in keeping with a report.
The ECB just lately introduced that it might not challenge NOCs for any tournaments that conflict with the English summer season until the participant is on a white-ball-only contract with their county, mentioned a report by The Telegraph.
“This consists of the Pakistan Tremendous League, which strikes to a slot concurrent to the Indian Premier League (which is controversially exempt from the coverage) in April and Could subsequent 12 months,” the report mentioned.
Gamers are believed to have been denied NOCs for any competitions that coincide with the Vitality Blast or the Hundred.
“Subsequent 12 months, that features Main League Cricket, Canada’s World T20 league and the Lanka Premier League, in addition to the Caribbean Premier League. The checklist of leagues clashing with the home summer season is barely more likely to develop,” the report mentioned.
Because of this, gamers have been engaged in a number of rounds of discussions with the Skilled Cricketers’ Affiliation (PCA) this week, together with conferences with PCA members on Monday and brokers with ECB officers on Wednesday.
Whereas the report mentions that fifty main England cricketers are contemplating boycotting the Hundred, it doesn’t specify if this consists of gamers presently on the Check tour of New Zealand.
“It’s understood, nevertheless, that the gamers have held early discussions about the potential for taking a collective stance round subsequent 12 months’s Hundred,” the report mentioned.
“The nascent plan entails refusing to enter negotiations round being retained by their groups, after which refusing to enter the draft until the NoC state of affairs is resolved extra to their liking.
“It’s thought that between 40 and 50 gamers have been concerned in discussions round this already, with extra hoped to observe. This group features a important variety of gamers who’ve represented England,” it added.
The gamers’ stance might additionally have an effect on the ECB’s efforts to promote stakes within the eight Hundred groups, as having prime gamers is essential to sustaining the competitors’s excessive customary.
(With inputs from PTI)