PCB's $25,000 Question: Will Pakistan Stars Miss the Nepal Premier League?

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-10-26

The Nepal Premier League is supposed to start on Monday. But as of right now, a handful of Pakistan's biggest T20 names don't know if they'll be allowed to play. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hasn't issued the no-objection certificates (NOCs) these players need, and even guys who already had clearance have been told their permission is on hold. That's a strange spot to be in, especially for a league that's already rolling out the welcome mat in Kathmandu. ### What's Actually Happening With the NOCs According to reporting from Cricinfo, multiple people connected to the tournament confirmed the PCB has paused permissions across the board — including for players who'd been cleared earlier. The league runs from October 26 to November 21, with eight teams playing all their matches in Kathmandu. Some Pakistan players have already landed in the Nepali capital. Others were packed and ready to fly but hit pause until this gets sorted. The PCB hasn't responded to requests for comment, so for now, everyone's reading the tea leaves. ### The $25,000 Fee Nobody Will Confirm Here's where it gets interesting. People associated with the NPL say the PCB wants a fee in exchange for issuing those certificates — reportedly around **$25,000 per Pakistan player**. But hold on. Nobody has confirmed that demand in writing. It's unclear whether the fee is actually the main roadblock or whether it was ever formally requested at all. Neither the board nor the league has said anything publicly. So we're left with a lot of whispers and not much paperwork. > "The players are ready. The teams are ready. The only thing missing is a piece of paper from the board." — a sentiment echoed by those close to the tournament. ### Which Pakistan Players Are Affected? The Pakistan contingent slated for the NPL includes some serious firepower: - Sahibzada Farhan, the T20 captain, who just smashed 76 against Sri Lanka in the third T20I in Rawalpindi on October 13 - Haider Ali - Hunain Shah - Hussain Talat - Iftikhar Ahmed - Hasan Ali - Usama Mir Here's the kicker: none of these players are part of a Pakistan squad that overlaps with the league dates. So there's no international commitment standing in the way. On paper, they should be free to go. ### The New Contract System Adds Another Layer Earlier this year, the PCB rolled out a new central contract structure that splits white-ball and red-ball cricket. One category — called format track D — is built specifically for T20 specialists. Under that system, those players can play as many T20 leagues as they want, as long as it doesn't clash with international duty the board needs from them. Sounds straightforward, right? Except the PCB hasn't publicly said which track each player falls under. It also hasn't confirmed whether the new structure is even in effect yet. And none of the players listed for the NPL currently figure in Pakistan's ODI or Test plans, which makes the whole holdup feel even more puzzling. ### What Happens Next? The tournament starts Monday. Teams that signed Pakistan players are stuck waiting to finalize their squads until the board makes a call. If the NOCs come through in time, we get a stacked NPL with some real star power. If not, those teams are scrambling — and the players are left watching from home. Either way, this is a story worth following. The clock is ticking, and the ball is firmly in the PCB's court.