January 14, 2025: English cricketers are seeking clarity from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) regarding No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) after being selected in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL) draft held on Monday in Lahore. Notable players like Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Peshawar Zalmi), Sam Billings, and Tom Curran (both Lahore Qalandars) were picked in the draft, while James Vince (Karachi Kings), Chris Jordan, and David Willey (Multan Sultans) were retained.
The 2025 PSL has shifted its schedule to April-May, which directly conflicts with the start of the English domestic season. This overlap marks the first time this has occurred, leading to frustration among players due to the ECB's newly implemented NOC policy. Introduced in late November, the policy restricts players from participating in overseas leagues like the PSL, Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and Major League Cricket (MLC) during the English summer, with the notable exception of the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, players with white-ball county contracts can still request NOCs for leagues that don't conflict with the T20 Blast or the Hundred.
Initially, the ECB's goal was to prevent players with red-ball contracts from skipping County Championship matches for overseas leagues. But following pressure from players, agents, and the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA), the board softened its stance. Players such as Billings, Curran, Jordan, and Willey are expected to receive NOCs for the PSL.
The ECB's NOC consultation group will review requests on a case-by-case basis, using criteria established in November. This includes players on white-ball contracts or those willing to renegotiate multi-format deals. Kohler-Cadmore (Somerset) and Vince (Hampshire), both on all-format contracts, are now weighing their options, as fulfilling PSL commitments would require missing the first six County Championship matches. The PSL is set to run from April 8 to May 19.
Meanwhile, six centrally contracted England players, including Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid, had registered for the draft but were marked as "unavailable" after the ECB clarified it would not grant NOCs for them. The PCA has been working with the ECB, players, and their legal teams to address the restrictions, and while progress has been made, each NOC request will be evaluated individually.
