A pay dispute involving the Indian Premier League is threatening to disrupt one of English cricket's biggest years, with two Ashes series and a Champions Trophy on home soil.
The IPL issue is likely to play a key role in negotiations for England players' central contracts which start each October and will be negotiated in the northern summer, probably during the Champions Trophy and the home test series against Australia.
The issue was placed at the top of the agenda once more by Angus Porter, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association, which deals with the England and Wales Cricket Board on the central contracts.
Anticipating a kerfuffle, Porter suggested they were substantially underpaid because of their inability to take part in the IPL and other T20 competitions.
England captain Alastair Cook said: "That always happens whenever central contracts come up. I haven't spoken to Angus about what he said. It is important we focus on trying to win a one-day series in New Zealand. Playing for England is such a huge honour it should always remain that.