It would not "be the start of the county season without a controversy about players missing" because of the Indian Premier League, according to Elizabeth Ammon of the LONDON TIMES. There are 12 players absent from the first round "because they are playing in India and while counties are resigned to this," they have written to the England & Wales Cricket Board to ensure that compensation payments paid by the BCCI "are given back to the counties rather than staying with the ECB." Twenty percent of a player’s IPL contract is paid to the ECB but, "at the moment, that money is not passed back to the counties." Under proposals from domestic chairs, counties would receive the full 20% compensation for non-England players, 15% for England players on "white-ball contracts" and 10% for those on "full England central contracts." Counties and players have suggested to the ECB that the payment system "should be the same for all players -- something that has received the backing" of the Professional Cricketers' Association (LONDON TIMES, 4/13).
UNCERTAIN FUTURE: Ammon also reported "uncertainty over the ECB’s new T20 competition" means that an "increasing number of counties are unwilling to negotiate new contracts" for their players that go beyond '19. Several counties "may even pay players -- who in recent years have enjoyed lucrative year-round contracts -- on freelance deals" from '20 onward if they are going to be absent from county duty for "large chunks of the season to play in both the IPL and the city T20 tournament," which is proposed to start in the summer of '20 (LONDON TIMES, 4/14).
