England cricketers have been told to enter Pakistan's 2025 Super League draft despite strict restrictions by the ECB on players participating in overseas franchise leagues, according to the Daily Mail.
The Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) has written to the governing body and set out its legal position on several issues related to the new No Objection Certificate (NOC) rules. NOCs are required for players to play in overseas leagues.
The PCA has asked England's multi-format players to identify themselves who are willing to put their names in the PSL draft. Pakistan Super League 2025 change will happen on 11 January 2025.
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What were the new restrictions from the ECB?
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has made an announcement regarding a no. of the measures regarding restrictions on English players in overseas domestic competitions. It had created a sensation among the players of the country regarding their participation in various leagues abroad.
It also involved the denial of NOCs to those players contracted to 18 first-class clubs in the County Championship from April to September. Players cannot get NOCs for any league other than the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world's biggest franchise cricket league.
PSL is a famous competition among English players. Even though most of the top English players are unavailable due to international and IPL commitments, various domestic players from the country have participated in the league over the years.
England players are not happy with the restrictions
Even the England cricket team regularly toured Pakistan for multi-format series. England recently visited Pakistan for a three-match Test series which they lost 1-2 to the hosts.
The next season of PSL will be held in a new slot of April and May. Many players were not happy with these restrictions. The guidelines even included a veto on players taking part in T20 tournaments that coincide with either the Vitality Blast or The Hundred, two premier competitions in England.
The PCA solves the problem with the ECB
Players have even considered suing the ECB for restraint of trade to counter these measures. However, it appears that the APC discussed the matter with the ECB before submitting its legal correspondence. It was contrary to previous guidance for players who have white ball specific trades.
The IPL and PSL are likely to coincide with each other in 2025 thanks to the ICC Champions Trophy, which will be held in February-March next year. It means that the best English players might not even play in the PSL because of their IPL commitments.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already announced the dates for the Indian Premier League. The IPL will be held from March 14 to May 25 with ten teams participating in it. Some of England's top players already have an IPL contract.
However, players like Jonny Bairstow and James Anderson, who put their names forward in the IPL auction, did not find takers and could very well feature in the Pakistan Super League.