A group of 50 top England cricketers may boycott next year’s Hundred competition in protest against the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) changes to its No-Objection Certificate (NOC) policy, which players need to take part in franchise tournaments, according to a report.
The ECB recently announced that it would not issue NOCs for any tournaments that clash with the English summer unless the player is on a white-ball-only contract with their county, said a report by The Telegraph.
“This includes the Pakistan Super League, which moves to a slot concurrent to the Indian Premier League (which is controversially exempt from the policy) in April and May next year,” the report said.
Players are believed to have been denied NOCs for any competitions that coincide with the Vitality Blast or the Hundred.
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“Next year, that includes Major League Cricket, Canada’s Global T20 league and the Lanka Premier League, as well as the Caribbean Premier League. The list of leagues clashing with the domestic summer is only likely to grow,” the report said.
As a result, players have been engaged in multiple rounds of discussions with the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) this week, including meetings with PCA members on Monday and agents with ECB officials on Wednesday.
While the report mentions that 50 leading England cricketers are considering boycotting the Hundred, it does not specify if this includes players currently on the Test tour of New Zealand.
“It is understood, however, that the players have held early discussions about the possibility of taking a collective stance around next year’s Hundred,” the report said.
“The nascent plan involves refusing to enter negotiations around being retained by their teams, and then refusing to enter the draft unless the NoC situation is resolved more to their liking.
“It is thought that between 40 and 50 players have been involved in discussions around this already, with more hoped to follow. This group includes a significant number of players who have represented England,” it added.
The players’ stance could also affect the ECB’s efforts to sell stakes in the eight Hundred teams, as having top players is crucial to maintaining the competition’s high standard.
(With inputs from PTI)