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England Players Consider Boycotting The Hundred Due To New ECB Policy

Rajgeeta Yadav

The Hundred [Source: ECB/X.com]The Hundred [Source: ECB/X.com]

In a major development, almost 50 English cricketers are considering boycotting The Hundred in 2025. This follows a new decision by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to stop players with first-class contracts from participating in overseas franchise leagues that overlap with the English domestic season.

The Telegraph reported on December 6 that these players are considering skipping the draft and opting out of the Hundred’s retention process. However, while many are frustrated, it seems unlikely they will follow through, given that The Hundred’s pay rises have already been approved for next year. If the policy is enforced, it could cut off a significant source of income, especially for players who depend on the Hundred for a major chunk of their earnings.

The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) has held meetings with the players and is now seeking legal advice on whether this policy restricts their right to work. Daryl Mitchell, PCA’s chief executive, expressed that players felt frustrated with the lack of time for proper discussion before the policy was announced.

The policy is also connected to broader issues in English cricket. Since England's selection is no longer solely based on Championship performance, some players feel it's unfair to be forced to prioritize the County Championship over tournaments like the PSL (Pakistan Super League). This could lead to more players choosing to retire from red-ball cricket or opting for white-ball contracts, which would allow them to play in franchise leagues more easily.

What Is The New ECB Franchise Policy?

The ECB recently announced significant changes to its NOC (No Objection Certificate) policy for the 2025 season. An NOC is required for players to participate in overseas tournaments, and the ECB has decided to tighten its stance on granting them for leagues that overlap with England's domestic season, which runs from April to September. The new policy will prevent players from playing in leagues like the PSL, which now runs during the same period as the IPL, as well as Major League Cricket. The ECB will still issue NOCs for the IPL, where several English players are set to play next year.

This new rule will only apply to players with red-ball contracts, meaning those who are primarily focused on the longer format of the game. White-ball players will still be allowed to participate in overlapping tournaments. This rule aims to prevent players from skipping County Championship matches to play in overseas leagues, such as PSL.

The ECB has also made it clear that they will not issue NOCs for tournaments suspected of corruption, and players won’t be allowed to join overlapping tournaments if they get eliminated early in another competition.