English cricketers who were selected in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) draft on Monday in Lahore are seeking clarity from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) about obtaining No-Objection Certificates (NOCs).
The 2025 PSL has been rescheduled to April-May, which directly conflicts with the start of the English domestic season for the first time.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Peshawar Zalmi), Sam Billings, and Tom Curran (both Lahore Qalandars) were among the players picked in the draft. James Vince (Karachi Kings), Chris Jordan, and David Willey (Multan Sultans) had already been retained by their respective teams.
The ECB’s newly introduced NOC policy, implemented in late November, has sparked frustration among players. ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould explained that the policy aims to safeguard the interests of English cricket.
Under the new policy, players will not be granted NOCs for overseas leagues during the English summer, such as the PSL, Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and Major League Cricket (MLC), with the exception of the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, 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 missing County Championship matches for overseas leagues. 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 will assess requests based on criteria established in November, which includes players on white-ball contracts or those willing to renegotiate multi-format deals post-draft.
Kohler-Cadmore (Somerset) and Vince (Hampshire), who are on all-format contracts, are evaluating their options. Fulfilling their PSL commitments would mean missing at least the first six County Championship games of the season, as the PSL is scheduled to run from April 8 to May 19.
