As the sport continues its attempts to establish itself globally, it follows that the talent pool available to clubs in England will increasingly come from all four corners of planet cricket.  

At least thats how it should work in theory. 

In reality, the creep of crickets globalisation efforts is already posing a considerable headache to the Home Office, the ECB and the clubs themselves.  

For years, the definition of a professional cricketer was as straightforward as a pre-match Bazball tactics meeting. The number of countries playing the sport ensured that cricketers arriving on these shores for a summer of action primarily emanated from international cricket’s full member nations.  

Now, the array of talent available to clubs across all levels of the game comes from a far greater range of locations. Just ask Bolney Cricket Club of the Sussex League, who welcomed aspiring young Brazilian cricketer, Luiz Henrique Morais, to the south coast in 2023. Had he arrived 12 months later, it’s possible he may have fallen foul of an ECB audit which flagged up a number of potential discrepancies between its player registration database and Home Office regulations which appear to be muddying the waters of what constitutes a ‘professional sportsperson’.  

As it stands, any player who “has represented their nation or national team within the previous two years, including all youth and development age groups from under-17s upward,” is defined as a professional.   

And that doesn’t just include full member nations. Since 1 January 2019, every match between ICC members has been given T20 international status. So, whether you play for Brazil, Papua New Guinea or Thailand – if you’re coming to England to play cricket then you are, to all intents and purposes, a professional.  

“Ridiculous,” is how Matt Featherstone, the CEO of Cricket Brazil describes the situation. “As it stands, until the regulations change, we’re looking to develop relations with clubs in Australia rather than England.” 

How many cricketers come from South America, might be the cry from those with a passing interest in the recreational game. But the answer is, an increasing number, not just from countries like Brazil, but also from the likes of the USA and Canada too. According to Featherstone – a man who once scored a century in the NatWest Trophy for the Kent Cricket Board against Denmark in 1999 – something has to give. And if it doesn’t, then English club cricket could be missing out on the global boom in participation entirely.  

“It’s not just Brazil, it just seems quite bizarre that the Home Office can come up with a one-glove-fits-all definition of professional cricket, amateur cricket and associate cricket,” says Featherstone. “From the statement, I don’t think they know what they’re dealing with – they’re mixing high-class, first-class cricketers from Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa with people in Associate Cricket that are going to miss out on that invaluable experience of playing in England. 

“It’s still the home of cricket, playing cricket in England, and experiencing the culture of the sport there, is something you just cant replicate. That’s just going to be wiped out if the Home Office suddenly draw a level line across the international game.”  

To date, Brazil have only had two club cricketers travel to England to play. In addition to Morais, Laura Cardoso, one of the standout players for the Brazil national women’s team, spent this summer at Exeter. They could, though, be the first and the last.  

“We’re no longer looking at England at all, we’re looking to Australia, which is a real shame because of all of my contacts and all the good things you talk about when you think of English cricket,” says Featherstone. “It looks like there’s now not going to be an opportunity for these players and you’re really talking about amateurs, club cricketers who happen to play Associate Cricket. These aren’t players performing for the top 12 nations in men’s or women’s cricket, they’re just cricketers looking to come over and gain some experience that they can bring back and pass on to players and coaches back home.”  

And thats the critical element here. Associate cricketers arent just doing this for themselves, theyre exporting what they learn, and theyre building relationships that can be built on for generations to come. To lose that would seem a criminal waste.

When the BBC broke the story back in August, a Home Office spokesman said:  

“Immigration brings many benefits to the UK, but it must be controlled and delivered through a fair system. We expect sports’ governing bodies to ensure all players within their remit are compliant with their visa conditions and the wider immigration system. This includes an assessment of those who qualify as professional sportspeople.”  

For their part, the ECB clearly need to operate in line within these regulations.  

“As a governing body, we are expected to maintain immigration compliance within the sport, so registered players from the recreational game are captured within the annual audit,” said a spokesperson.  

“These are players who are not normally resident in the UK and will be here under various entry permissions. As these are immigration rules, the ECB has no power to ‘clear’ a player. We have a duty to report any breaches or potential immigration breaches to the Home Office, and would contact the club to make them aware and explain why.” 

All of which leaves the recreational game in something of a pickle. And one that cricket can’t resolve independently. How quickly the criteria will change, or whether they alter at all, is currently under discussion. For now, though, club cricket’s attempts to assist in the globalisation process – in England at least – look to be taking place with one hand tied firmly behind their back.