Disgruntled county players discuss Hundred boycott as ‘nuclear option’ in NOC dispute

He Telegraph reported the boycott threat on Friday, and ESPNcricinfo understands that players have raised it as a nuclear option with their agents, and in crisis talks with the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), if the policy does not change. The PCA declined to comment and the prospect of a boycott has so far been discussed independently of the players union.

The timing is particularly unfortunate for the ECB ahead of Monday’s deadline for the second round of the Hundred sales process, in which potential investors will submit bids for stakes in all eight teams. The ECB declined to comment, while one source insisted the timing was a coincidence and that the possibility of a boycott would have been raised anyway.

The latest development comes after a chaotic week behind the scenes in the English game, with players fighting for clarification on the new policy. There is confusion at apparent discrepancies between the wording of the policy itself and the details reported by the ECB, and frustration at the limited consultation with the PCA before its publication.

The PCA is awaiting legal advice before drawing up its next steps, while a number of players want answers on whether they will be granted NOCs to fulfill long-standing commitments for the winter. English players have already appeared in leagues in Abu Dhabi, Guyana and Nepal since the end of the season, with Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) starting next weekend.

The players also want to know where they stand before the six Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises step up recruitment for the 2025 season, which will coincide with the first two months of the County Championship. Some English players have already reached agreements in principle to play in the PSL, with a preliminary date and recruitment regulations expected to be published this month.

First class counties are understood to be generally supportive of the new policy. One source predicted the regulations would cause a handful of players to withdraw from first-class cricket, but said the English game as a whole would benefit from the ECB’s attempts to head off the perceived threats posed by a major flight of players to the foreign franchises. leagues during the English summer.