The Professional Cricketers’ Association is considering a legal challenge after the England and Wales Cricket Board banned players from appearing in the Pakistan Super League and other franchise leagues that clash with the domestic summer.

“The PCA’s legal team is currently completing a thorough check of the implementation of the policy,” said Daryl Mitchell, the interim chief executive of the PCA. “There is clear frustration at the lack of time given for consultation, discussion and debate before this policy was released publicly.”

The ECB’s new policy, agreed at a board meeting on Wednesday, is designed to prevent an exodus of domestic talent during the English summer. Next year the PSL takes place in April, which will intensify the competition for talent during the English summer. Next year the T20 Blast and Hundred will be played alongside Major League Cricket, Canada’s Global T20 league and Sri Lanka’s Premier League, with the Caribbean Premier League then beginning in late August.

In recent years it has become common for English players to miss domestic matches - including in the T20 Blast - to play in overseas white-ball competitions, which has become a matter of growing concern to counties. But now, any players who wish to participate in overseas white-ball competitions will need to retire from first-class cricket, while no English players at all will be permitted to miss T20 Blast or Hundred fixtures to play in foreign leagues.

A series of players are furious about the new policy, which could severely damage the earning potential of English players during the home season. While the change will practically have no impact on centrally contracted players, cricketers just below this level believe that the new policy will hinder them unfairly.

“Following the release of the ECB’s NOC [no objection certificate] policy and the summary of implementation, players have strongly expressed their concerns over elements of the restrictions and the inconsistencies in which players are likely to be treated,” Mitchell said. “The PCA is continuing to source considered opinions and potential consequences of this policy from players and player representatives.”

An exception continues to be made for the Indian Premier League, as the ECB has long accepted that it cannot bar players from appearing in the world’s most lucrative league.

One prominent player agent predicted that there could be a legal challenge to the ECB’s new policy.

“From a legal perspective I’m pretty confident it could be challenged,” the agent said, suggesting that the new approach could lead to players retiring from red-ball cricket prematurely. “It is actually going to do the opposite of what they are trying to do. If you are an England player coming off a central contract - why would you commit to a full county deal which could impact earnings in PSL or elsewhere?”

More than 20 major short-format franchise competitions will take place in 2024, and that number is likely to grow further in the years to come.