Several Pakistani cricketers face the prospect of missing the Nepal Premier League (NPL) after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reportedly placed their no-objection certificates (NOCs) on hold, with individuals associated with the tournament alleging that the board is seeking approximately US$25,000 per player to approve their participation, according to a report by Cricinfo‘s Danyal Rasool.
The uncertainty emerged ahead of the eight-team competition, scheduled to run from October 26 to November 21 in Kathmandu. Some Pakistani players had already travelled to Nepal, while others delayed their departures as they awaited clarity over their eligibility.
It remains unverified whether the PCB formally communicated the alleged fee demand to the NPL in writing, or whether the reported charge is responsible for the delay in player approvals
Pakistani players face uncertainty over NPL participation
Pakistan T20I Captain Sahibzada Farhan is among the players expected to feature in the tournament, alongside Haider Ali, Hunain Shah, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Hasan Ali and Usama Mir.
None of the seven players is currently part of a Pakistan national squad whose international commitments overlap with the NPL’s scheduled dates.
The uncertainty extends beyond players still awaiting initial approval. Individuals involved with the competition indicated that some cricketers who had previously received NOCs were subsequently informed that their permissions had been suspended.
The PCB had not publicly addressed the reported restrictions or the alleged financial requirement when the issue emerged.
PCB’s T20-specialist contract framework raises questions
The situation has also drawn attention to the PCB’s revised central-contract structure, announced earlier this year, which was intended to distinguish between players primarily involved in red-ball and white-ball cricket.
Under the proposed framework, a category known as Track D was introduced for T20 specialists, potentially allowing those players greater freedom to participate in franchise competitions overseas.
The arrangement was designed to accommodate participation in multiple T20 leagues, provided those commitments did not interfere with international assignments required by the PCB.
However, the board has not publicly identified which players fall into the different contractual tracks or confirmed whether the revised system has been implemented.
The lack of clarity is particularly relevant to the NPL, as none of the Pakistani players linked with the tournament is currently involved in the national team’s Test or ODI plans.
Without confirmation of how the new framework operates, questions remain over whether the intended flexibility for T20 specialists applies to the players seeking permission to compete in Nepal.
Similar NOC fee concerns emerged in Major League Cricket
The reported US$25,000 demand is not the first time the PCB has faced questions over the cost of approving Pakistani players for overseas franchise competitions.
During an earlier Major League Cricket (MLC) season in the United States, franchise owners reportedly raised concerns about a similar fee being sought for each Pakistani player requiring an NOC.
According to earlier reports, some MLC franchise owners complained that the fee had not been disclosed during player recruitment and was communicated only when finding replacements had become difficult.
The PCB was the only national cricket board seeking such compensation from MLC franchises, with no publicly available policy setting out the charges.
The matter reportedly reached PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi after franchise owners sought clarification over the financial requirement.
Haris Rauf, who played for the San Francisco Unicorns, was the only Pakistani cricketer to participate in that MLC season, with his franchise reportedly agreeing to pay the fee.
