Mark Butcher has highlighted prioritisation of the IPL as the biggest issue in the ECB's row over its new NOC policy.
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.
