Jason Roy set to terminate his central contract with ECB to participate in inaugural season of MLC

After a successful season with Kolkata Knight Riders in Indian Premier League 2023, England batter Jason Roy is set to terminate his central contract with England and Wales Cricket Board. In recent news reports, it has been reported that Roy has been offered a multi-million-pound contract from the Knight Riders franchise for two years. To stay with them and play in different T20 leagues Knight Riders have asked Roy to sign their lucrative contract.

According to the Daily Mail, the England opener is under contract with the ECB until October on an incremental deal, which he is set to cancel to pursue a lucrative £300,000 offer from the Los Angeles Knight Riders to participate in the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA. If this becomes official, Roy will be the first England player to sign a T20 franchise contract and leave his central contract. Simply to say, this might put at risk his appearance for England in the World Cup later this year.

Notably, earlier some reports suggested that Mumbai Indians have contacted Jofra Archer with a similar deal though his injury has halted the partnership. It’s worth noting that England white-ball players are considering discussing contract extensions with the ECB to compete in the debut season of MLC in the United States.

Reece Topley also considering about termination of the central contract

Apart from Jason Roy, his Surrey teammate Reece Topley is also considering terminating his central contract to participate in the inaugural season of MLC. However, just like Jofra Archer, his decision will also depend upon his fitness status as he underwent shoulder surgery last month. The MLC is set to take place from July 13 to July 30 at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas, and it has received considerable support from both India and Australia: four of the six teams have investors who own IPL clubs, while Cricket Victoria and Cricket New South Wales have shares in the other two.

The inaugural season of the league involves a small clash with the English summer: the T20 Blast semi-finals and finals are on July 15, while there are two rounds of County Championship contests between Finals Day and the start of the Hundred on August 1. However, there are concerns in the English game that MLC will likely expand in the future and compete directly with the Hundred. This is why ECB is restricting their centrally contracted players to participate in the league.