‘A real risk to the game’: PCA warns counties not to end year-long contracts

The Professional Cricketers’ Association has warned that a move away from year-round county contracts will hasten the rise of white-ball specialists and have a detrimental effect on the main driver of revenue in the English game: the men’s Test team.

As it stands, domestic cricketers enjoy freedom of movement between October and March, with 74 English players featuring in at least one overseas franchise tournament during the most recent northern hemisphere winter. For competitions that take place during the English summer – chiefly the Indian Premier League and the Hundred – the players pay a portion of their earnings back to their county in compensation.

But there appears to be growing unease about this arrangement at certain clubs; a belief that some tournament-hopping cricketers are using their county for coaching and medical support, but leaving them short‑changed in terms of playing time.

Surrey’s director of cricket, Alec Stewart, recently told Sky Sports: “They go away and play elsewhere and when they come back they want time in the indoor centre, the benefit of the best coaches advising them on their game, just to get ready to go off and play in another franchise competition somewhere else. ‘Oh and by the way, I’ve got a little injury so can I get treated by the physio, the doctor, the medical staff and can I get rehab as well?’”

Stewart went on to question whether counties may start signing players on competition-specific deals and bill them for off-field support outside of this time. But as well as reminding the counties that the year‑round contract is a product of past talks involving concessions from all parties – and short‑term deals are already possible – the PCA also fears unintended consequences.

“If you