ECB to block centrally contracted England players from inaugural MLC

GEORGE DOBELL: No Objection Certificates will not be granted for the competition, which is staged during the Ashes in July. The involvement of county stars is currently unclear with the PCA pushing for players to be released

George Dobell | 20/03/2023 at 18:05

The ECB look set to decline to release centrally contracted players to appear in Major League Cricket.

The competition, the first major franchise cricket league to be launched in America, is scheduled to be played for three weeks from July 13 when England's men are involved in the Ashes.

While England's specialist limited-overs players are not scheduled to be in action during that time (apart from Vitality Blast Finals Day at Edgbaston on July 15), The Cricketer understands they have been informed that NOCs (No Objection Certificates) will not be granted. Without such certificates, players cannot sign for another league.

The involvement of county players is currently unclear, too.

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^{The six-team Major League Cricket competition begins on July 13 (MLC)}

While the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) are pushing for players to be released with the same arrangements as used for the Indian and Caribbean Premier Leagues (where counties and players come to mutual agreements) there is some discomfort within the ECB at the prospect.

They are also resistant to encouraging the development of a competition which takes place in the prime weeks of the English summer.

The ECB are keen to have as many of their big-name players appearing in the men's Hundred, which starts on August 1, as possible and will also want them as fresh as possible for the 50-over World Cup which starts in October.

Aaron Finch and Quinton de Kock were among six marquee overseas names revealed at the inaugural MLC draft on Sunday (March 19). England World Cup winner Liam Plunkett, who left for the United States in 2021, is also scheduled to feature in the six-team competition.