The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is working towards curbing corruption and hectic schedules of franchise cricket. The board declared that no player will be allowed to join leagues suspected of corrupt practices. ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould stated that the board will get stricter in terms of granting NOCs to players even for leagues which are accredited by the International Cricket Council (ICC). To the Telegraph Sport, Gould said: “We will take a more protective line with our players, particularly if we perceive that there’s a risk of corruption. When we see competitions that we’re concerned about, then we won’t issue NOCs for those competitions, irrespective of whether they’ve been sanctioned by the ICC or not.” Addressing "Double-Dipping" The ECB is also worried about "double-dipping," in which players eliminated from one league quickly sign on for another, usually overlapping leagues. This means that players earn money from several tournaments in a very short time frame. The ECB will try to put an end to this by imposing stricter rules on NOC so that players are barred from participating in other leagues at the same time their previous ones are taking place. Stating about the integrity of sport being compromised due to overlapping tournaments, Gould said: “We’re going to have to stop that by being more rigid on our NOCs.“I think it would be unwise for players to go and compete in overlapping tournaments in the way we’ve seen in the past.” Also Read | Shubman Gill Agrees To Take Pay Cut For IPL 2025 To Help Gujarat Titans End a Cramped Schedule Pressure has been mounted on the players, and questions have risen regarding sustainability due to franchise leagues. In 2023, more than 20 leagues with international players emerged, and this gave rise to problems of logistics and ethics. According to Gould, these leagues are unsustainable in the long run as well, especially in regions where there is a poor interest in broadcasting or attending. Gould remarked: "Not all these competitions are going to be viable in the long term. I wonder if the elasticity has been stretched to the maximum, particularly for leagues without strong local support.” Kevin Pietersen Demands Changes in Structure International cricket was also the victim of overcrowding in the schedule says cricketing star Kevin Pietersen. He provided ideas through social media for an arrangement under which players should be contracted to "super clubs" probably owned by IPL franchises. He also added that a separate governing council should be formed to conduct T20 cricket. Players Safeguarding and Game Cleanliness As the ECB steps up efforts to safeguard players from leagues that are in the limelight of corruption, its approach to fair play emphasizes the ever-increasing requirement for integrity in cricket. Now, by changing its NOC policies, the ECB attempts to address risks posed by an increasingly hectic cricket calendar.