All-rounder Kieron Pollard will not feature in this year’s T20 Challenge, after being denied a No-Objection Certificate from the West Indies Cricket Board.

The Cricket Board sent out a word of warning to their players, making the unprecedented move to levy 20% of the contract fee on any Caribbean player wishing to participate in an overseas T20 tournament.

The big all-rounder from Trinidad signed a two-year contract last season with the Cape Cobras, but, according to ESPNCricinfo.com, he was informed of the decision via email by WICB CEO Michael Muirhead on November 3. He’s currently still in his home island, with the tournament set to get underway on Saturday.

‘The WICB will levy a charge for the granting of an NOC for West Indian cricketers seeking a release to participate in leagues outside the jurisdiction of the West Indies,’ Muirhead informed Pollard in the email. ‘This will be an amount equivalent to 20% of the player fee (as defined in the player contract) that is actually paid to the relevant player.’

Pollard was told he would not be granted the NOC until the WICB had received ‘acceptance of our position’ from the various boards which feature Caribbean players in their domestic T20 tournaments.

Cricket South Africa have since rejected the proposal. Chairman of FICA and SACA CEO, Tony Irish, believes the move is arbitrary and unjustified, given that Pollard is not even contracted to the WICB, having been controversially dropped for the tri-series in Zimbabwe, scheduled for later this month

‘We have made it very clear to all the boards that any restrictions placed on players are likely to constitute restraint of trade and there challengeable legally,’ Irish said. ‘In the case of Kieron, he is not even contracted by the WICB. Therefore their attempt to levy 20% in exchange for the NOC effectively imposes a restriction on freedom of movement.’

 

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