LONDON, April 30 (Reuters) – England, who regularly include
several overseas-born cricketers in their test team, have
extended the qualifying period for players from four to seven
years.
Players who start living in England or Wales after their
18th birthday will now need to complete a residence period of
seven consecutive years, the England and Wales Cricket Board
(ECB) said in a statement on Monday.
However the ECB also said it could reduce qualification to
four years, at its own discretion, for players from countries
who are not full members of the International Cricket Council.
Cricketers who start living in England and Wales before
their 18th birthday need only serve a four-year residency.
Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Matt Prior and captain
Andrew Strauss, who were all born in South Africa, featured in
England’s second-test victory over Sri Lanka in Colombo at the
start of April.
Pietersen, 31, was involved in the most high-profile switch
of international allegiance.
He decided to quit South Africa at the start of his career
in protest at a racial-quota system he felt was hindering his
prospects.
Soon after completing the qualification process, Pietersen
made his test debut in the series victory over Australia in 2005
that helped England regain the Ashes after an 18-year wait.
(Writing by Tony Jimenez; editing by Alison Wildey)
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