Dough from England James Vince criticized the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) over its controversial No Objection Certificate (NOC) policy, accusing the governing body of double standards. The policy was introduced in November by the board. Its particularity is that it prohibits players from participating in foreign competitions which overlap with the English domestic season, such as the Pakistan Super League (PSL)while granting an exemption for the Indian Premier League (IPL). This policy has drawn scrutiny due to its apparent favoritism toward certain leagues. The latest addition among critics of the board’s controversial policy is Vince who launched a vehement criticism of the new rule.
James Vince denounces ECB favoritism towards IPL
Vince was part of the England team that won the ODI World Cup 2019 and was the skipper of Hampshire in English county cricket. However, the 33-year-old has played domestic cricket for several teams in several T20 leagues. His association with the PSL dates back to the 2016 season when he was signed by Kings of Karachi. The English slugger has featured in every season since.
His relationship with Pakistan’s elite T20 league was the reason for his frustration with the ECB’s decision. Highlighting the ECB’s double standards in not granting players NOCs to play in the PSL, Vince hit out at the board during a discussion with ESPNcricinfo.
“The PSL is a shorter competition, so if you plan to play there, you’ll probably miss less domestic cricket than if you go to the IPL. So this was a significant problem that just didn’t seem right. » said Vince.
Vince further speculated that the different treatment of the IPL and PSL could be linked to the ECB’s relationship with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He suggested that politics could influence the ECB’s decision-making process, and that external factors could influence its policies.
“I guess it must have something to do with the relationship between the ECB, the PCB and the BCCI.” Vince expressed his opinion, highlighting favoritism within the ECB.
Read also: 3 reasons why Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) can win IPL 2025 under the leadership of Rishabh Pant
Vince bid farewell to Test cricket to focus on white ball format
Moreover, Vince recently announced his retirement from Test cricket. His decision was largely motivated by family considerations. After unexplained attacks on their home in Hampshire last year, his wife, Amy, and their two young children decided to move to Dubai. This decision made it impossible for Vince to continue playing in the County Championship, especially as committing to the full English domestic season would have significant tax implications.
However, the 33-year-old pointed out that the ECB’s NOC policy was also the driving force behind its decision to stop red-ball cricket. Vince further warned that due to the ECB’s decision, more players would choose to leave the English domestic circuit and play cricket abroad.
“When they first talked about it, a players WhatsApp group was set up and there was a lot of discussion,” the initial feeling was that it was going to push people away from red-ball cricket. I felt like this was going to limit opportunities. The players were frustrated… There were a few things in there that (we) didn’t really understand,” » mentioned Vince.
Vince’s career in Test cricket with the national team was short-lived. The explosive batter played just 13 Test matches for England and scored 548 runs for his national team.