KATHMANDU, Oct 26: The participation of Pakistani cricketers in the third edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) has become uncertain just as Nepali fans were looking forward to watching international stars play on home soil.
Players from Test playing nations, including South Africa, New Zealand, England, the West Indies, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, are expected to feature in the tournament, which begins on Monday. But uncertainty over no objection certificates (NOCs) for Pakistani players has cast a shadow over the event.
Players generally need clearance from their national cricket boards to take part in overseas franchise leagues. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), for instance, bars Indian players from participating in overseas professional leagues. The Afghanistan Cricket Board also restricts its players’ participation to leagues in three countries, while some boards charge fees for issuing clearances. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also applied such requirements.
According to reports, the PCB has halted the process of issuing NOCs for Pakistani players registered for the NPL. There are also claims that the board has sought $25,000 per player, equivalent to around Rs 3.4 million, after issuing clearance. The demand, if enforced, could make it difficult for Nepali franchises to retain their Pakistani recruits.
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Neither the reported fee nor its connection to the NOC delays has been independently confirmed. The PCB has not issued an official response on the matter.
Some Pakistani players had reportedly already received clearance before the process was halted. Pakistan T20 captain Sahibzada Farhan and Hussain Talat have arrived in Nepal, while other players have postponed their travel until the issue is resolved.
The uncertainty has raised concerns among franchises that recruited Pakistani players. The list includes Haider Ali, Hunain Shah, Iftikhar Ahmed, Hasan Ali and Usama Mir, alongside Farhan and Talat. Their absence could leave some teams facing a significant setback.
Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) President Chatur Bahadur Chand said Nepal maintained good and equal relations with cricket boards around the world and expressed hope that Pakistani players would participate. A CAN official, however, said the NOCs had been withheld and the players might not be able to take part.
Chand said he had been unable to speak directly with PCB President Mohsin Naqvi, who also heads the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and serves as Pakistan’s interior minister. He said he was trying to contact PCB Chief Executive Salman Naseer but had not succeeded.
CAN cannot directly intervene in the PCB’s decision, Chand said. CAN Secretary Paras Khadka had earlier expressed confidence that the Pakistani players would arrive with NOCs while making clear that no player could compete without the required clearance.
The reported fee has drawn attention because of a similar allegation involving Major League Cricket in the United States. San Francisco Unicorns were reported to have paid $25,000 to secure an NOC for Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf. It remains unclear whether the PCB has made the same demand for the NPL.
The situation has fuelled speculation about strained relations between CAN and the PCB. Some have also pointed to Nepal’s close ties with the BCCI as a possible factor, against the backdrop of longstanding tensions between Indian and Pakistani cricket authorities. No evidence has established that these factors prompted the PCB’s reported decision.
The NPL will run in Kathmandu from Monday until November 21. The participation of Pakistani players now depends on whether the PCB issues the required clearances in time. The board has yet to clarify its position publicly.