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James Vince: ECB domestic summer rule will push more players away from test

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Photo Credit: Karachi Kings

England batter James Vince has expressed concerns about the ECB’s new No-Objection Certificate (NOC) policy, suggesting it may push players toward T20 leagues over first-class cricket and favor the Indian Premier League (IPL)

In November 2024, the ECB decided not to grant NOCs to all-format players for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) due to its scheduling conflict with the County Championship. Vince opted out of first-class cricket to play for Karachi Kings in the PSL instead.

“When they first mentioned it, a WhatsApp group of players was created and there was a lot of discussion. The initial feeling was that it was going to drive people away from red-ball cricket,” Vince told ESPNCricinfo. 

The 33-year-old, who has played 13 Tests, is currently playing for the Gulf Giants in the ILT20 tournament and was retained by Karachi Kings ahead of the PSL draft. This season, the PSL overlaps with both the IPL and County Championship.

“That’s a big one that has caused a lot of confusion. It’s got to be something to do with relationships between the ECB, PCB and BCCI as to why they’ve come up with that rule,” Vince added.

Vince also noted that players miss less domestic cricket by participating in the PSL compared to the IPL due to its shorter duration, stating, “It just didn’t seem right.”

A former Hampshire captain with 197 first-class matches over 15 years, Vince led the team in 92 games and secured three consecutive top-three finishes. He believes the new policy could lead more players to prioritize white-ball cricket over red-ball contracts.

“There’s more and more opportunities for guys to play white-ball cricket and earn decent money during our domestic season… Particularly further down their careers, when there’s a big difference in those numbers, I’m sure more and more people will go down that route,” he said.

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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff

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