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The number of "Kolpak" players in the county game is set to be reduced after the European Commission changed its stance on a key employment agreement. The EC has changed its reading of the Cotonou Agreement it has with some African, Caribbean and Pacific states. It lets many foreigners effectively play as domestic players in England but will now be read in a way which restricts their freedom of movement. The deal has been blamed for harming the development of English youngsters. Test Match Special's Alison Mitchell said the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had been expecting the new interpretation. "It means the ECB will now have the power to set its own limits on the number of Kolpaks or to set certain criteria for allowing them in," she said. The "Kolpak" name comes from the Slovakian handball player Maros Kolpak, who... [read full story]
