PCA set to hold talks amid rising anger and resentment over NOC policy which was recently issued by the ECB.
PCA held talks with players on Monday in response to the ECB’s new policy on No-Objection Certificates (NOCs).
According to reports, players told their PCA representatives that they had “robust views”. Consequently they felt the ECB had not consulted them enough before introducing a new regulation. Additionally, they are seeking more information on particular situations that might occur throughout the current offseason as well as the forthcoming English summer.
According to their policy, players who have any clause in their county contracts allowing them to play red-ball cricket would not be regarded as white-ball specialists, an ECB official stated. That might exclude several English players from the PSL in April and May, which would have serious consequences.
Saqib Mahmood, Luke Wood, and George Garton are among the recent England internationals who are currently on county contracts. These mostly cover white-ball cricket but also have “pay-as-you-play” options for the Championship. They won’t be given NOCs to play abroad during the English season as a result, but they would if they gave up red-ball cricket.
According to a county source, the new rules will remind players that their county clubs are their main employers and guarantee that the top cricket players in the nation are available to compete in the County Championship. Others, however, worry that a strict interpretation would lead to a number of players quitting red-ball cricket to play in the PSL or other leagues that conflict with the English summer.
Players are also annoyed that all-format county cricket players will receive NOCs for the IPL but not for the PSL. This is something they see as a significant contradiction. Although neither league is specifically mentioned in the published policy. The ECB has made clear that it would provide NOCs for the IPL as it has in the past.
“There’s anger and resentment around it,” one agent told ESPNcricinfo on Monday. “This new policy just seems to show that the power lies with India. Consequently it seems to be about the ECB not wanting to upset India. Players feel as though they’re not being listened to. Has the PCA put the players’ feelings across to the ECB robustly enough? Or has the PCA been sidelined on this?”