The row over the board barring players who hold red-ball contracts with English counties from playing franchise cricket during the English summer led to Hampshire captain James Vince signing a white-ball only contract with the club from the 2025 season onwards in order to play in the PSL. Vince was the Championship's longest-serving captain at the end of the 2024 season and has been a significant source of consistent runs for Hampshire in their title challenges over the last two seasons.

The ECB's policy states that players who hold red-ball contracts will not be given NOCs (non-objection certificates) to play in franchise leagues during the English domestic season, but players with white-ball only contracts will - as long as the competition doesn't clash with The Hundred. However, the IPL is exempt from the new policy, with 12 English players set to feature in the upcoming edition of the tournament.

Butcher: Why is the IPL more special than any of the others?

Speaking on the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast, Butcher said: "I honestly think the biggest problem with this is the fact that they've said that the IPL doesn't count. I think that's where the big issue comes. Well why? Why is the IPL more special than any of the others. You wouldn't be able to make the case that it's more of a developmental ground for players than any of the other competitions. The PSL is a pretty high standard, so why would that one get an exemption, whereas players are having to make big decisions about whether they play red ball cricket or not just to play in the PSL. That causes a problem for the entire programme.

"I think it's been handled messily, that's the point. If you have one exemption from the rule and the bigger players will be able to go off and do what they want, and they will largely be England contracted players I suppose, who won't be involved in the County Championship, but even so, to have one competition stand aside at the expense of all the others makes it a very difficult argument to make from the ECB's point of view."

Butcher said he "could absolutely see it from the ECB point of view" that players with domestic contracts "should not be able to just wander off and do whatever they want in a season that they have signed contracts for". However, the decision from the ECB has drawn criticism from the Players Association for a lack of consultation before the policy was announced.

"Players have never had more opportunity to earn more money on top of county contracts," said Butcher. "A lot of people will be listening to this and going, 'well boo hoo, you have to make a decision somewhere'. But I do think, particularly in the case of James Vince, that the County Championship loses one of its very best players.

"He's decided to take the money for the PSL over playing for Hampshire in the Championship. Which if you look at Hampshire and their aspirations to win the County Championship, for example, that's going to be very difficult without him, given their relative batting strength when he's not there. It's a really difficult one, and I think the issue could have been handled better."

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In a statement on giving up his red ball contract, Vince said: "I love Hampshire, it's been my club and home for 16 years, so I want to be able to maintain my best to keep delivering for Hampshire in T20 cricket, and hopefully even further our success in the competition [T20 Blast]. I also need to understand what is best for my family, and combine that with the stage of my career I am at."

Somerset batter Tom Kohler-Cadmore was also picked up in the PSL draft earlier this week, but has not announced yet whether he too will renegotiate his deal with the county to move to a white-ball only contract.

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