Wednesday 24 July 2019 11:41, UK
Kolpak cricketers could be gone from the county game by 2021 in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to updated guidance from the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Kolpak signings, as well as those with EU passports, are currently eligible to feature without counting as an 'overseas' player, employment rulings which would both be directly affected by the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union.
The governing body has issued an email to the 18 first-class counties noting a series of potential implications, noting the political uncertainty surrounding the project but offering some clarity on the various possibilities.
One such outcome involves the UK departing from the EU on October 31 without an agreement, which has frequently been floated by incoming Prime Minister Boris Johnson. In that case new Kolpak registrations would be impossible and existing deals would likely cease at the end of the 2020 season.
There are dozens of Kolpaks presently signed to counties, with the most high-profile including former South Africa internationals Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Duanne Olivier, Simon Harmer and Kyle Abbott.
Some would be sure to earn overseas deals in the event of their current status being revoked but many more would expect to leave the county circuit.
