Ben Stokes is heading toward another dispute with the England and Wales Cricket Board, as the organization is not expected to approve his participation in foreign franchise tournaments during the upcoming summer.

The ex-England skipper has reportedly been in talks with teams from the United States' Major League Cricket (MLC) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) regarding potential involvement next season. However, the Guardian has discovered that the ECB is hesitant to issue the necessary No-Objection Certificate for him to compete in either league while he is still contracted with Durham.