James Vince calls out ECB over NOC policy for franchise cricket

England batter James Vince has broken his silence on England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) no-objection certificate (NOC) policy for franchise cricket.

The right-handed batter recently quit England’s first-class cricket due to a policy that barred players from playing any global league other than the Indian Premiere League (IPL).

The 33-year-old Vince was retained by Karachi Kings ahead of the PSL 10 draft, however, concerns remained about his participation in the league.

Soon after, Vince stepped down as Hampshire captain and will miss the team’s County Championship campaign to play in the PSL 10.

Now, the England player has made shocking revelations about the impact of the ECB policy on the players.

“When they first mentioned it, a WhatsApp group of players was created and there was a lot of discussion,” James Vince said in a recent interview.

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“The initial feeling was that it was going to drive people away from red-ball cricket. It felt like it was going to limit opportunities. Players were frustrated by it… There were a few things in there that [we] didn’t really understand.”

According to the England batter, the ECB’s decision to let players participate in the IPL and no other league including the PSL 10 was due to the relationship between the cricketing boards.

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

“The PSL is a shorter competition, so if you’re going to play in that, you’re probably missing less domestic cricket than if you’re going to the IPL… It just didn’t seem right.”

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