Pakistan players’ participation in Nepal Premier League Season 3 thrown into uncertainty

Pakistan players’ involvement in Nepal Premier League Season 3 has been thrown into serious doubt after their no-objection certificates were reportedly placed on hold by the Pakistan Cricket Board. The development has left several players in limbo just as the tournament gets under way in Kathmandu.

The players affected are Pakistan’s T20I captain Sahibzada Farhan, Haider Ali, Hunain Shah, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Hasan Ali and Usama Mir. None of these cricketers feature in Pakistan’s current ODI or Test squads, and the Nepal Premier League calendar does not overlap with any scheduled international assignment.

Season 3 of the Nepal Premier League runs from October 26 to November 21 this year, with eight teams competing across venues in Kathmandu. A number of the Pakistan players due to feature had already made their way to Kathmandu when the NOC situation emerged, while others chose to hold back on travel until the matter is resolved.

What has been reported about the PCB’s fee demand?

Individuals connected to the Nepal Premier League told reporters that the PCB sought a fee in exchange for each NOC issued to a Pakistan player, with the figure believed to be in the region of USD 25,000 per cricketer. However, Cricinfo could not confirm that any such demand was communicated to the league in writing. The PCB did not immediately respond to Cricinfo’s request for comment, and it remains unclear whether the fee is the central sticking point or whether additional administrative factors are at play.

Adding to the uncertainty is the PCB’s new central contract structure, announced earlier in 2026, which introduced what was described as a format track D designation for T20 specialists. Under that framework, players placed in the category would theoretically have the freedom to take part in as many T20 leagues as they wished, provided those commitments did not clash with any international duty the board required of them.

While the PCB has not publicly declared which contract track any of the affected Pakistan players falls under, and it is not yet clear whether the new structure has formally come into effect, none of the seven players named in the NPL dispute are currently part of Pakistan’s ODI or Test plans.