Kathmandu, October 26
Karnali Yaks’ Pakistani player Sahibzada Farhan, who came to Nepal to play in the Nepal Premier League (NPL), will return to Pakistan after being selected for the national team.
Karnali Yaks said Pakistan has called him up for the One Day International (ODI) against Sri Lanka.
According to Karnali Yaks director Grihendra Ghimire, Farhan is likely to return to the NPL after the national team’s match on October 31. Karnali is preparing to bring in another player to replace him during that period.
Ghimire said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has demanded an additional US$25,000 to issue no-objection certificates (NOCs) to the Pakistani players who came to Nepal to play in the NPL. He expressed dissatisfaction that they demanded the extra money after the players had already arrived in Nepal with their NOCs.
“Our aim in bringing Pakistani players to the NPL is not only to watch them play but also to invest in the development of Nepali cricket. Nepali cricket is at a developmental stage right now. In such a situation, we are saddened that more money is being demanded at the last minute,” Ghimire said.
He said Karnali had also been discussing whether to pay the additional amount and keep the player in the NPL. But after Farhan was called up to play for the national team, he had to return to Pakistan. Ghimire said Farhan is expected to rejoin Karnali after the match on October 31.
Ghimire also made clear that Karnali does not see the incident as something that will damage relations with Pakistan. He said that since Pakistani players will be needed in the future too, the problem should be resolved while maintaining mutual relations.
Along with Farhan, Karnali has also signed another Pakistani player, Hussain Talat. With Farhan set to return to the national team, Karnali is preparing to bring in another player for the interim.
According to Ghimire, bringing in foreign players for the NPL is part of an effort to raise the standard and popularity of Nepali cricket. He said the problem that surfaced at the start of the tournament has left them disappointed.
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