The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) has instructed its members not to sign new multi-year contracts for The Hundred, amid a significant dispute with the tournament’s incoming franchise owners. The standoff centers on contract terms the union deems unfair to players.
A new system for the 2025 season allows each of the eight franchises to directly sign four players before a wider auction. However, the PCA is challenging a key condition in the three-year deals being offered. The contracts reportedly contain a unilateral 12-month release clause, granting owners the right to terminate an agreement after just one season. Furthermore, the proposed deals would lock in a player’s salary for the full three-year term, with no automatic increase for improved performance.
This model is common in leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL), where formal player representation for active cricketers is limited. The PCA, however, is refusing to endorse similar terms for its members, arguing they provide little job security and could see players undervalued. The union highlights a scenario where a player has a breakout season but remains on an outdated, lower salary, or faces being cut loose after a single year with limited recourse.
The impasse has already delayed several intended signings, as players heed the PCA’s guidance. Owners had aimed to finalize contracts before recent announcements of increased team salary caps, but an agreement remains elusive.
Discussions are ongoing to find a resolution. One potential compromise under consideration would link salary increases to performance milestones within the contracts, offering players a potential upside in exchange for the inclusion of release options.
The window for these direct signings closes at the end of January, ahead of The Hundred’s inaugural auction scheduled for March.