The ECB has allowed Hamish Marshall, the former New Zealand batsman, to play for Gloucestershire this season but has stuck to its guns in refusing applications yesterday from four other Indian Cricket League (ICL) players hoping to play for counties this season as Kolpak players.
Wavell Hinds, the West Indies batsman, Justin Kemp, Andrew Hall and Johannes van der
Wath, the South Africa internationals, were refused registrations, Hinds for Derbyshire, Kemp for Kent and the other two for Northamptonshire.
It seems the board felt confident that it was on solid legal ground because all four have applied as Kolpak players despite having played in the officially disapproved ICL and also in domestic cricket in their own countries over the past 12 months, against ECB regulations.
Marshall last played for New Zealand 12 months ago, so was given discretion, but the stance against the would-be Kolpak registrations is in line with that taken against England-qualified players such as Paul Nixon, who was warned that he would be barred from county cricket if he played in the second phase of the ICL.
Hitherto the ECB has allowed Kolpak players into county cricket because European law gives them the same right of employment as England-qualified players so long as their home countries have trading agreements with the EU, but the rules are different for “overseas” players.
Three other ICL players, Shane Bond, Jason Gillespie and Pedro Collins, the former international bowlers, were granted registrations to play for Hampshire, Glamorgan and Surrey respectively as overseas players because their boards issued No Objection Certificates.
Registrations were also approved yesterday for Saqlain Mushtaq (Surrey), Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire), Johann Louw (Northamptonshire), Alfonso Thomas (Somerset) and Dominic Telo (Derbyshire).
News Source : http://www.timesonline.co.uk/ | 
