In an unprecedented move, the England Cricket Board (ECB) has banned its players from participating in the franchise leagues, except the Indian Premier League (IPL). The policy will prevent the players from taking part in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Lanka Premier League (LPL) and other global leagues during the peak summer months of English cricket.
ECB believes the move will protect the quality of County Championship, Vitality Blast, and the Hundred. The domestic season in England starts from April and end around September. Multiple tournaments like MLC, Global T20 Canada, CPL and Zim Afro T10 clashed with the last County season.
The PSL 2025 is expected to be played from April 7 to May 20 due to the Champions Trophy set to be played in the February-March window. In the last season, a total of 16 England players participated in the tournament.
Interestingly, the players having only white-ball contracts will be allowed to play in other franchise leagues and PSL. However, the players with contracts including first-class cricket will not be given the No Objection Certificate (NoC) to take part in those competitions.
However, the England players will be allowed to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is set to take place from March 14 to May 25 next year.
“This policy gives clarity to players and professional counties around our approach to issuing No Objection Certificates. It will enable us to strike the right balance between supporting players who want to take up opportunities to earn and gain experience, while also protecting the integrity of cricket globally,” Richard Gould, ECB chief executive, said on the policy.
The policy adds further woes to Pakistan cricket, as they are trying hard to host Champions Trophy, despite India’s refusal to travel to the country. The recent protests in Islamabad by former PM Imran Khan’s supporters have put a dent in Pakistan’s claim of providing security and top-notch hospitality to the players.
According to reports, 74 England players participated in the franchise leagues last year. However, the number will go down significantly in 2025 with the new policy.
List of England cricketers taking part in IPL 2025
A total of 12 England cricketers were bought by the franchises in the IPL 2025 auction. The franchises shelled out a total of INR 70.25 crore to secure their services. Out of them, three will play for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Jos Buttler was the most expensive overseas player in the auction with an amount of INR 15.75 crore.
- Jos Buttler – Gujarat Titans
- Liam Livingstone – Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- Harry Brook – Sunrisers Hyderabad
- Phil Salt – Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- Sam Curran – Chennai Super Kings
- Will Jacks – Mumbai Indians
- Reece Topley – Mumbai Indians
- Jacob Bethell – Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- Brydon Carse – Sunrisers Hyderabad
- Jamie Overton – Chennai Super Kings
- Moeen Ali – Kolkata Knight Riders
- Jofra Archer – Rajasthan Royals
FAQs
Which 16 players participated in PSL 2024?
Alex Hales, Jason Roy, David Malan, James Vince, Will Smeed, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tymal Mills, Dan Lawrence, Chris Jordan, David Wiley, Jordon Cox, Luke Wood, Laurie Evans, Gus Atkinson, James Overton and Dan Mousley
Who won PSL 2024?
Islamabad United
