ECB prohibits players from taking part in Pakistan Super League; allows exceptions for IPL: Report

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced a major policy shift regarding English players' involvement in international franchise leagues. According to The Telegraph's report on November 28, the ECB has implemented a new rule prohibiting English players from taking part in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and other global franchise leagues during the domestic summer. This ban applies to all overlapping leagues with the English season, except for the Indian Premier League (IPL).

This decision is part of a broader strategy to safeguard the integrity of domestic competitions, particularly the Vitality Blast and The Hundred, by preventing players from participating in tournaments that clash with these events.

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transform: rotate(32deg); animation: shinerMooving 3s infinite; z-index: 1; filter: blur(1px); } @keyframes shinerMooving { 0% { left: -40px; } 100% { left: 150%; } } Top 15 buys at IPL 2025 Auction Rishabh Pant ₹ 27 Cr DC LSG Total Match 111 Total Runs 3284 Highest Score 128 runs Shreyas Iyer ₹ 26.75 Cr KKR PBKS Total Match 115 Total Runs 3127 Highest Score 96 runs Venkatesh Iyer ₹ 23.75 Cr KKR KKR Total Match 50 Total Runs 1326 Highest Score 104 runs Wickets 3 Best Bowling 2/29 Arshdeep Singh ₹ 18 Cr PBKS PBKS Total Match 65 Total Runs 29 Highest Score 10 runs Wickets 76 Best Bowling 5/32 Yuzvendra Chahal ₹ 18 Cr RR PBKS Total Match 260 Total Runs 37 Highest Score 8 runs Wickets 205 Best Bowling 5/40 Jos Buttler ₹ 15.75 Cr RR GT Total Match 107 Total Runs 3582 Highest Score 124 runs KL Rahul ₹ 14 Cr LSG DC Total Match 132 Total Runs 4683 Highest Score 132 runs Trent Boult ₹ 12.50 Cr RR MI Total Match 104 Total Runs 83 Highest Score 17 runs Wickets 121 Best Bowling 4/18 Jofra Archer ₹ 12.50 Cr MI RR Total Match 35 Total Runs 195 Highest Score 27 runs Wickets 46 Best Bowling 3/15 Josh Hazlewood ₹ 12.50 Cr RCB RCB Total Match 12 Total Runs - Highest Score - Wickets 12 Best Bowling 3/24 Mohammed Siraj ₹ 12.25 Cr RCB GT Total Match 93 Total Runs 109 Highest Score 14 runs Wickets 93 Best Bowling 4/21 Mitchell Starc ₹ 11.75 Cr KKR DC Total Match 41 Total Runs 105 Highest Score 29 runs Wickets 51 Best Bowling 4/15 Phil Salt ₹ 11.50 Cr DC RCB Total Match 21 Total Runs 653 Highest Score 89 runs Ishan Kishan ₹ 11.25 Cr MI SRH Total Match 105 Total Runs 2644 Highest Score 99 runs Wickets - Best Bowling - Jitesh Sharma ₹ 11 Cr PBKS RCB Total Match 40 Total Runs 730 Highest Score 49 runs Check Full Coverage

Under the new guidelines, players who are centrally contracted with the ECB will be prohibited from playing in any overseas leagues that run concurrently with England's domestic white-ball tournaments. This includes the PSL, which is scheduled to take place from mid-March to mid-April in 2025, overlapping with the start of the IPL, which is expected to begin on March 14.

The restriction also extends to competitions suspected of corruption and to players ‘double-dipping’ – participating in multiple tournaments at the same time after being eliminated from one.

While the move is likely to affect the earning potential of several top English cricketers, the ECB is confident that it will lead to long-term benefits. The Telegraph reports that the board believes this policy will enhance the quality of domestic cricket in England by ensuring players' availability for key home competitions and preserving the integrity of the game.

ECB chief executive Richard Gould emphasised the importance of protecting the strength and integrity of cricket in England and Wales. “This policy gives clarity to players and professional counties around our approach to issuing No Objection Certificates,” Gould explained.

“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."

England stars in IPL

The new regulations are expected to have a direct impact on several prominent English cricketers who were set to play in the PSL. Many top players, including Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, and Reece Topley are already secured for the IPL through the mega auction in Jeddah on November 24-25.

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