On Friday, Britain left the European Union. Many of the consequences of this protracted, painful process are still only becoming clear now — including the impact on one of cricket’s most controversial rulings: Kolpak.

Since 2004, cricketers from outside the EU — mainly South Africa — have been using a loophole to play as local players in county cricket.

It is named Kolpak after the Slovakian handball player Maros Kolpak who, in 2003, successfully argued that under EU free-trade laws he had the right

to play in Germany for TSV Baden Ostringen. The Contonou Agreement, signed in 2000 by the EU with various nations, means that professionals, including cricketers, are able to play here as ‘Kolpaks’ — as long as they give up their right to play for their home nation.

So, with Britain’s departure on Friday, the ECB contacted the counties to issue guidance on the future of Kolpak players in a post-EU Britain. The expectation, the ECB said, is that Kolpaks will remain eligible to play as local players “until the end of the government transition period (currently anticipated to be December 31, 2020)”. So, the end of the year is set to signal the end of the Kolpaks.

Kolpak has been controversial, both in England, where some perceive such players hindering the development of local youngsters, and particularly South Africa. The impact of the talent drain on an underpowered Proteas side was obvious in England’s recent Test series win. The uncomfortable running joke centred on which of South Africa’s new players the English game would pinch next.

There have been times when individual teams have gone too far, but when used right, the Kolpak system has been good for county cricket. Take Simon Harmer at Essex or Morne Morkel at Surrey, who have mucked in with youngsters, elevated the competition’s standard and helped their teams win silverware.

There are 17 South African Kolpaks contracted for 2020 and some from other parts of the world, like Middlesex’s Miguel Cummins and Derbyshire’s Ravi Rampaul (both are former West Indies quicks), and Northamptonshire’s Blessing Muzarabani from Zimbabwe.

There are, though, dozens of other South Africans playing county cricket in England on British or EU passports (British passport holders will be unaffected, but the picture is less clear for EU passport holders), some of them belonging to spouses, which enables them to be given a work permit. So Kolpaks have become a catch-all term for South Africans playing in England, but there is a little more to it than that.

As an aside, The Hundred is also crawling with Kolpaks. Of the 88 ‘non-overseas’ players to get gigs at October’s draft, 10 are Kolpaks and another handful are passport players.

The reasons for the flight of talent have been varied, but centre around pure finance (the rand is weak and South African cricket is cash poor) to

a perceived lack of opportunity created by South Africa’s transformation targets. Some, like Morkel and Hashim Amla, took the plunge when their international careers were over. There was an influx of players in the winter of 2016-17 due to fears over the impact of an early Brexit. Those moves now look canny.

So, what next? On the same day as Britain left the EU, Durham signed ­Farhaan Behardien and Somerset confirmed that Vernon Philander would be joining them, both on two-year Kolpak deals. It appears that the second year, despite being agreed as being a local player, would have to be as an overseas signing. This surprised some counties with Kolpaks on multi-year deals, so there will surely be disputes ahead.

The ECB have plenty to work through with the Government, but this should provide the domestic game an opportunity to reset. Each sport has a different policy on foreign players, so perhaps it is time to allow two overseas players in the Championship again, or to insist that every county XI features at least nine English-qualified players.

That would open the door for some to stay, because a period of uncertainly awaits them. Some, like Harmer (who could play for Essex for years yet), could become the county’s overseas player with ease. Kolpak’s end would make them eligible for South Africa again (long-awaited good news for the Proteas), but it may not be that simple, with some seen as mercenary pariahs at home.

In this thorny issue, there is a way to run yet.