Reports: Jason Roy to relinquish ECB central contract in pursuit of lucrative Los Angeles Knight Riders deal

England opener Jason Roy is set to terminate his contract with England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in order to sign a full-time deal with Los Angles Knight Riders. Reports suggest that the World Cup-winning opener has been offered a two-year deal worth around £300,000 (more than INR 2 crore 40 lakhs) by Los Angeles Knight Riders, and even though he is yet to sign papers, the cricketer seems interested.

Notably, if the 32-year-old eventually signs the contract, he may not feature for Three Lions in the upcoming ODI World Cup in India. Meanwhile, in case Roy signs in favour of LAKR, he will also become the first international cricketer to sign such a contract which will allow a franchise to take care of his schedule going forward. However, as things stand, the cricketer is still under ECB, and his contract will be up by October, much after the first edition of the Major League Cricket (MLC).

Daily Mail reported that ECB can give NOC (No objective Certificate) to Roy if the cricketer cancels his deal with the American franchise. However, the board also clarified that Roy will be available for selection if he wants to be a part of the team. On the other hand, England will have their next white-ball series against New Zealand and Ireland in August and September and by then, the cricketer will be free from his duty in the United States and will be joining the Oval Invincibles for the upcoming edition of The Hundred.

Meanwhile, Roy is not the first player who is ready to walk out of the national team’s contract. In New Zealand, Trent Boult and James Neesham did the same, while few claimed that the England international Jofra Archer too has been offered a franchise contract by Mumbai Indians. This possesses a massive threat to international cricket as franchises all over the globe are targeting star cricketers, and it can very well bring an end to international cricket.