Pollard barred from SA T20 league as WICB imposes NOC levy
Kieron Pollard, the West Indies allrounder, has been denied a No-Objection Certificate to compete in South Africa's domestic T20 league, after the West Indies Cricket Board made the unprecedented move of levying 20% of the contract fee on any Caribbean player wishing to participate in an overseas T20 tournament.
Pollard, who signed a two-year contract last season with Cape Cobras, was informed of the WICB decision on November 3 by the board's chief executive officer Michael Muirhead in an emailed letter. He is currently still in Trinidad, with the tournament due to get underway on November 11.
Muirhead called the move a "policy" decision, taken by the WICB board of directors. He also said that the WICB had notified all the ICC Full Member boards of this decision.
"The WICB will levy a charge for the granting of an NOC for West Indian cricketers seeking a release to participate in Leagues outside the jurisdiction of the West Indies," Muirhead informed Pollard in the email, which has been accessed by ESPNcricinfo. "This will be an amount equivalent to 20% of the player fee (as defined in the player contract) that is actually paid to the relevant player."