The ICC could be set to limit players’ access to the riches of T20 leagues around the world.

The council’s full members, the chiefs of which met at its annual conference this weekend, have agreed in principle to cap participation to three leagues per year, according to reports.

With a final decision expected in October, the move would seek to curb the potential for domestic leagues, of which there are now active examples in every month of the year, to impinge upon international cricket. The Federation of International Cricketers’ Association (FICA) are expected to argue that putting a cap on player movement amounts to a restraint of trade.

However, with players, particularly those from the less wealthy nations, increasingly specialising in T20 cricket or opting out of national contracts, efforts to protect international cricket are seen by many as requiring greater urgency.