Brexit's impact on cricket in England

New Delhi: The Great Britain’s exit from the European Union was on everyone’s lips on Friday with people pointing out its impact on the world economy. As the results were declared, the stocks markets tumbled and currency rates sank across the world. And sports industry would not remain unaffected from this huge development. Brexit could severely change the landscape of the sports industry as Britain’s departure from EU would bring back a lot of restrictions on non-British sportspersons playing in various leagues and tournaments. After Britain’s exit, sportspersons from EU would lose the freedom of movement that allows to ply their trade in UK without work permit. Although there aren’t any major cricketing nation under EU, the Brexit will affect Kolpak players indirectly. The Kolpak ruling, according to Wikipedia, is a European Court of Justice ruling handed down on May 8, 2003 in favour of Maroš Kolpak, a Slovak handball player. It declared that citizens of countries which have signed European Union Association Agreements have the same right to freedom of work and movement within the EU as EU citizens. According to an agreement signed between ACP Group of States – including South Africa, Zimbabwe, and West Indies – and EU in 2000, known as the Cotonou Agreement, English county cricket clubs were allowed to employ services of overseas cricketers. A bulk of these cricketers are South Africans. By 2008, there were 60 Kolpak players in county cricket. The last Home Office ruling stated that any Kolpak player had to have a valid work visa for a four-year period to qualify as an EU citizen. Now, after Brexit, the Kolpak ruling will no longer apply to cricket. It means county cricket clubs as well as England cricket team will need to start looking again for absolute home-grown players.