Hampshire's James Vince has left red-ball cricket for 2025 to take up a lucrative contract with Pakistan in the Super League, with the ECB making it clear they will clamp down on players seeking franchise T20 contracts while on red-ball contracts with their countries.
Vince's move comes as the ECB and county players are embroiled in a dispute over the governing body's new no-objection certificate (NOC) policy.
So what are NOCs? Why did the ECB change its policy? And who are they most affected by this move?
What separates the ECB and the players?
Vince, along with a number of other England players, sought clarity from the ECB on whether they would be granted NOCs to play in the Pakistan Super League and other T20 tournaments that would clash with the domestic summer.
Hampshire's James Vince will not play red-ball cricket in 2025 as he prefers the white-ball game
Players were reported to have reacted furiously in late November when the ECB announced a new policy on NOCs, which chief executive Richard Gould said was designed to “defend our game”.
The new policy will allow players to be refused NOCs for all overseas leagues played during the English summer, including the PSL, the Caribbean Premier League and Major League Cricket in the US – with the notable exception of the Indian Premier League.
“We have to protect our summer,” Gould said. “When we have players under contract, we want to encourage them to stay and play in our competitions.”
The Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) said at the time that they were blindsided by politics and that their sense of “genuine cooperation” with the ECB had disappeared.
There is even the threat of a legal challenge, citing a trade restriction. “PCA's legal team is currently completing a thorough review of policy implementation,” it said in November.
Why is ECB not allowing players to play in PSL?
While the PSL was once a popular off-season competition for English players, its move to a new spot on the calendar – from April 8 to May 19 – means it now clashes with the four-day County Championship competition.
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Islamabad United became the first team to win the Pakistan Super League three times with a thrilling win over Multan Sultans in the 2024 final.
Players on white-ball contracts with their counties will be granted NOCs for competitions that do not conflict with the Vitality Blast or Hundred, but will not be for any all-format contracts.
Gould explained that the ECB's tougher stance on NOCs was introduced to prevent domestic competitions from “undermining” overseas leagues, as fears grow of a diluted domestic product if the best players work elsewhere.
Vince had contracts in all formats – captaining the club in four-day and T20 cricket – until, after being retained by the Karachi Kings in the PSL draft on Monday, he switched his contract with the club to white-ball only, with the announcement next in Wednesday.
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James Vince smashed a brilliant 90 off 47 balls in The Hundred for Southern Brave last summer.
The 33-year-old, who was part of the England squad that won the 2019 World Cup, endured a challenging 2024 on a personal level after several attacks on his family home. As a result, his family made the decision to move to Dubai.
Giles White, Hampshire director of cricket, said: “We are aware that this announcement will be tinged with disappointment for many fans, but we hope that everyone will join us in celebrating what (Vince) has given our club over many years and will support him as he fulfills his commitment to continue leading the Hawks into the 2025 Vitality Blast.”
Which players are affected?
Somerset dough Tom Kohler-Cadmore will anyone be affected by the ECB's new policy on NOCs.
Somerset player Tom Kohler-Cadmore is contracted across all formats but has been drafted by Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL.
With still no changes to his county contract across all formats, the 30-year-old would currently need to miss at least the first six Championship games of the season if he is to fulfill his PSL contract with Peshawar Zalmi.
Four more English players – Tom Curran (Surrey), Chris Jordan (Surrey), Sam Billings (Kent) and David Willey (Northamptonshire) – will participate in the PSL, but without any problems due to the fact that they only have the white ball for their districts.
England fast bowler Chris Jordan has only the white ball in his deal with Surrey
Several recent England internationals including Saqib Mahmood, Luke Wood and George Gartonthey currently have county contracts that primarily cover white-ball cricket but also include 'pay-as-you-play' options for the Championship.
If they were drafted into a T20 league that conflicts with the domestic flight, they would not be granted an NOC unless they retire from red-ball cricket.
Six centrally contracted players from England have reportedly registered for the PSL draft but have been marked as “unavailable” on a long list sent to franchises after the ECB clarified that they will not be granted NOCs.
This includes Jonny Bairstow – who has not played for England since June – and Adil Rashid.
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Jonny Bairstow smashed nine sixes en route to a century for Punjab Kings in IPL 2024 against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Hussain: The critical point in the balance between the red ball and the white ball
Sky Sports' Nasser Hussain: “I was in Essex a few days ago and they were talking about the situation with Vince and the fallout.
“He's not just a white-ball specialist – he's a very, very fine red-ball player, who has run for them for a very long time – and he's club captain.
“I guess he's coming to the end of his professional career, so if there's a £100,000 offer from the PSL on the table, he can only go as a free agent and do what he can.
“Don't you think people like the West Indies, South Africa and even New Zealand are going, 'welcome to our world?'
“Now we're just getting to the fact that they're coming to our summer. In the summer, we will also have an American franchise (MLC).
“It's just that battle between white-ball and red-ball franchise cricket. The red ball costs a lot to field even at the county level.
“It's a real critical point where the balance is between red-ball cricket and white-ball cricket at the moment.”