CRICKET clubs are now awaiting answers to some crucial questions about signing their overseas professionals.

Home Office officials are busily tightening immigration regulations and, after the 2008 season, clubs will be under strict scrutiny.

Drakes Huddersfield League and Arrow Central representatives have already had a preliminary meeting with Andrew Carter of the Border and Immigration Agency to explain the new legislation.

Bradford League clubs met last night to discuss the same issues and the South Yorkshire and Central Yorkshire leagues will follow.

While clubs in Huddersfield are not affected for next summer, two things are already clear for 2009.

Firstly, anyone coming to this country to be employed as a cricketer must satisfy entry requirements and have a work permit, abiding by regulations which are already in place governing top-class players.

Secondly, under the new five-tier policy on immigration which will come into place, anyone arriving as a ‘working holidaymaker’ will NOT be able to be paid to play cricket.

Drakes League executive secretary Paul Whiteley is seeking clarification on several points but doesn’t expect the answers until Government policy has been finalised through the Home Office.

“The first thing we need to know is can a club employ a working holidaymaker as a groundsman, bar steward or in some other capacity and then use any ability he has to play cricket as an amateur?” said Whiteley.

“Secondly, is any person allowed entry as a working holidaymaker, who obtains employment with any company or individual in any capacity, allowed to play amateur cricket?

“And in respect of these questions, has the actual employment to be ‘signed, sealed and delivered’ before his entry into the country or, as a holidaymaker, can he make his working arrangements after he arrives?

“At the moment, it would seem these are the issues which need addressing and we are in contact with the Border and Immigration Agency to see if we can get more information for our clubs.”

The ECB, keen to protect the interests of home-grown players, are happy with the proposed new legislation.

Chief executive David Collier said: “This is very good news for cricket and the other professional sports that have urged the Government to make these changes.

“The work permit arrangements have worked well in ensuring that visiting cricketers are of a proven international calibre and suitably high standard and we were concerned that the development of our young home-grown players would be impacted by the arrival of overseas players using the (working holidaymaker) scheme to come to this country.

“The Government has demonstrated a continuing commitment to nurturing young sporting talent, which is a central tenet of the ECB long-term strategy.”