Sahibzada Farhan, Pakistan’s T20 captain signed by Karnali Yaks for the Nepal Premier League, is set to return to Pakistan after the Pakistan Cricket Board asked the franchise to send him back, according to Karnali owner Grihendra Ghimire.
Farhan is expected to return to Nepal on October 31, meaning he will miss Karnali’s first two matches of the tournament. The franchise will face Janakpur Bolts in its opening game on Tuesday before taking on Biratnagar Kings on Thursday.
Karnali have two Pakistani players in their squad, Farhan and Hussain Talat. The Pakistan Cricket Board has reportedly sought $25,000 from NPL franchises for each Pakistani player’s participation in the tournament.
The participation of Pakistani cricketers in the Nepal Premier League has been thrown into doubt after the PCB reportedly put their no-objection certificates (NOCs) on hold.
ESPNcricinfo reported that several people involved in the NPL had confirmed that even players who had already received NOCs were subsequently told that their permission to play in the tournament was on hold.
People associated with the league also told ESPNcricinfo that the PCB had sought a fee in exchange for the certificates, believed to be around $25,000 per player. However, ESPNcricinfo said it could not confirm whether the demand had been formally made in writing to the league.
A Karnali Yaks official had earlier told Kantipur, on condition of anonymity, that the franchise was prepared to pay the amount for Farhan and Talat. “As we have already bought the players, it will not be good if they do not get to play in the end,” the official said.
The third edition of the NPL, featuring eight teams, begins on Monday and runs until November 21 at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. Several Pakistani players scheduled to compete in the tournament are already in Kathmandu, while others are understood to have delayed their travel pending a resolution.
It remains unclear whether the reported fee is the main obstacle to the players’ participation or whether the PCB has formally demanded payment. The board did not immediately respond to ESPNcricinfo’s request for comment.
The Pakistani players involved in the NPL include Farhan, Haider Ali, Hunain Shah, Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Hasan Ali and Usama Mir. None is part of a Pakistan squad scheduled to play international cricket during the tournament.
Earlier this year, the PCB announced a new central contract structure distinguishing between red-ball and white-ball cricket. It also introduced a category known as Format Track D for players designated as T20 specialists. In principle, the arrangement would allow these players to participate in T20 leagues, provided their commitments did not conflict with international duties.
However, the PCB has not publicly disclosed which category individual players fall under or confirmed whether the new structure has taken effect. None of the Pakistani players scheduled to play in this year’s NPL is currently part of the country’s Test or ODI plans.