son The inaugural season of Major League Cricket (MLC) in the US will feature English white-ball cricketers, and the players are now negotiating releases from their England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) contracts to allow them to take part. While it is uncertain that players on full central contracts will take part in the MLC this year, Jason Roy, who has an incremental contract with the ECB, has said that he intends to terminate it in order to participate in the tournament.
The ECB showed trust in Roy’s dedication to England cricket by saying that his choice wouldn’t impact his future selection for England sides. Reece Topley, a teammate of Roy’s from Surrey and England, is also thinking about the move while he recovers from surgery on his shoulder last month.
MLC, which is scheduled to take place in Texas from July 13 to July 30 at Grand Prairie Stadium, has gotten a lot of support from India and Australia. Investors who own IPL teams hold four of the six franchises.
The ECB won’t be issuing No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to contractual players, restricting their participation in MLC, despite concerns about possible future disputes between MLC and the Hundred.
However, players with incremental contracts, like Roy, contend that negotiating their releases makes financial sense.
The incremental contracts, totalling about £66,000 yearly, get paid on top of the county wage. Brook, Malan, Potts, Willey, Roy, and Topley are the six players who currently have such contracts for the 2022–2023 contract cycles.
Roy to play for LA Knight Riders in MLC
Jason Roy will most likely play for the LA Knight Riders in the MLC between the conclusion of the T20 Blast season and the start of the Hundred, according to Surrey. Roy will be available for Surrey on Finals Day, but he will not be there for the beginning of MLC.
At the NASA Space Centre Houston, the player selection for the first MLC was held in March. Roy is reported to have discussed with the franchise the possibility of playing for their teams in other competitions, including the MLC. Roy previously represented the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2023.
For the 2023–24 season, the ECB is at present updating its central contract system to allow for the expansion of franchise leagues. It gives players a sense of security that leaving incremental contracts won’t affect their future service. The board is aware of how the game of cricket has changed and is working to adapt.
The connection between franchise leagues like the MLC and the domestic English cricket system is still being questioned as talks between the English players and the ECB continue.
Given potential disputes between MLC and the Hundred, officials will need to find ways to strike a balance between players’ interests and the integrity of domestic events.
