Disaffected county players discuss Hundred boycott as ‘nuclear option’ in NOCs row

The 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 second-round deadline in the Hundred’s sales process, which will see prospective investors submitting offers for stakes in the eight teams. The ECB declined to comment, while a source insisted that the timing was coincidental and that the potential for a boycott would have been raised regardless.

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

The PCA is awaiting legal advice before working out its own next steps, while several players want answers as to whether they will be granted NOCs to fulfil long-standing commitments for the winter. Male English players have already featured in leagues in Abu Dhabi, Guyana and Nepal since the end of the season, with Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) starting next weekend.

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 clash with the first two months of the County Championship. Some English players have already agreed deals in principle to play in the PSL, with a draft date and recruitment regulations expected to be published this month.

The first-class counties are understood to be generally supportive of the new policy. One source predicted that the regulations would prompt a handful of players to retire from first-class cricket, but said that the English game as a whole would benefit from the ECB’s attempts to stave off the perceived threats posed by a significant player drain to overseas franchise leagues during the English summer.