Visa restrictions will leave amateur cricketers from abroad ineligible for 2024 season highlight after ECB audit

From 1 January 2019, all matches between ICC members will have full T20 international status.

However, many of the players playing for associate nations outside the top 20 T20 teams in the men’s game have never been paid to play cricket. The same is true for most players outside the top 16 in the women’s game.

In what appears to be a broader tightening of its obligations to the Home Office, the ECB has also provided a list of names of individuals who may have breached the terms of their visas.

Earlier this summer, the ECB published a revised version of the Home Office Immigration Rules for Cricket Overview, with accompanying notes sent to county boards for distribution to clubs.

An ECB spokesperson said: “As a governing body, we are expected to enforce immigration laws within sport, which is why registered players from recreational sport are included in the annual audit.

“These are players who do not normally live in the UK and will be here under different access rights.

“As these are immigration rules, the ECB has no power to ‘release’ a player. We have a duty to report any breaches or potential immigration breaches to the Home Office, and would contact the club to inform them of this and explain why.”

In the past, the ECB has largely left it up to the district boards, leagues and clubs themselves to enforce eligibility.

ECB staff have reportedly personally contacted a number of players this year and urged them to stop playing competitive cricket.

A Home Office spokesman said: “Immigration brings many benefits to the UK, but it must be controlled and administered through a fair system.

“We expect sports governing bodies to ensure that all players within their jurisdiction comply with their visa requirements and the wider immigration system. This includes an assessment of those who qualify as professional athletes.”