The Decision Meets The Recommendation Of The Quality Cricket Committee Chaired By Andrew Strauss:
On Friday (July 3) the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) accepted a recommendation from the Performance Cricket Committee (PCC) to increase the number of unqualified cricketers that counties will play in men’s county cricket. The change will come into effect next season.
The PCC released a recommendation to “ensure the quality of men’s county competitions” and confirmed the ECB ‘s statement. “First-Class Counties will be eligible to play for a total of two Unqualified cricketers in the same game in the County Championship and the Royal London Cup from 2021.” added the release-an improvement from the one currently allowed.
However, the 20-over competition-the Vitality Blast-remains unchanged, with two already licensed. “There is an essential balance to be struck to ensure the need for good international players in county cricket and to provide an incentive for nine England-qualified players in each county team,” said Andrew Strauss, PCC president. “There are obviously long-established advantages for our domestic players to perform against and learn from the best players in the world, in addition to offering high-quality domestic cricket for members of the county and fans to enjoy.
“The rise in Unqualified cricketers helps First-Class Counties to retain this quality while also allowing them to plan and prepare for next summer,” he said.
