NPL Franchises Want Foreign-Player Draft After PCB Row

Nepal Premier League franchises want CAN to introduce a draft system for foreign players after the Pakistan Cricket Board's last-minute clearance demand left only one of seven Pakistani signings able to play.

One Pakistani Player From Seven Signings

The Nepal Premier League's third season would have been stronger had franchises fielded all their Pakistani signings, but of seven players confirmed by four franchises, only one has played. Hussain Talat, signed by Karnali Yaks, is the exception, completing the required procedure and playing against Janakpur Bolts on Tuesday.

The problem is a last-minute notice from the Pakistan Cricket Board requiring players to pay USD 25,000 each to be allowed to play in Nepal. The PCB's NOC Guide, in implementation since 2020, does not mention the clause, according to the Kathmandu Post, yet the demand arrived on the eve of the tournament, after players had already reached Kathmandu. Around 40 players had been granted NOCs for different leagues by August 8, 2026.

Franchise owners, Nepali cricket stakeholders and global experts quoted by the Post all describe the outcome as a big blow for the league. The damage is not limited to one club: Karnali Yaks solved the issue for Talat but had to send back Pakistan T20 captain Sahibzada Farhan, Sudurpaschim Royals could not field Haider Ali, and Chitwan Rhinos lost the services of their Pakistani signings, including Usama Mir and Hasan Ali. With every franchise still to play out the schedule, the scramble for replacements had to happen mid-tournament.

Janakpur's Search for Replacements

Janakpur Bolts felt the disruption most sharply. The club had announced two Pakistani players, Iftikhar Ahmed and Hunain Shah, and both had arrived in Kathmandu for the tournament. They were at the TU International Cricket Ground for Tuesday's fixture against Karnali, but only on the bench, and sat out the 19-run defeat.

Chief executive Niroj Khatiwada told the Post the pair will not play for Janakpur at all. “They are still in Kathmandu, but it is certain they will not play for Janakpur,” he said. “We have searched for their replacements. We will have eight foreign players by the time we enter the ground for our Thursday's fixture against Kathmandu Gorkhas.” That Thursday fixture opens the day-four double-header at Kirtipur, and the Bolts' points table hopes depend on the new arrivals settling quickly.

The two Pakistanis will stay on for a few more training sessions with the squad's emerging players. Paid on a match basis, they will not be paid for games they do not play, but the club will cover their travel and accommodation until they return to Pakistan. Khatiwada was blunt about the wider cost: “This is definitely a disappointment for us. In a broader context, it is a big blow for overall Nepali cricket.”

Chitwan Rhinos found their own emergency answer. With Mir already in Kathmandu but unable to play, the club brought Tom Taylor and Dan Mousley to the ground directly from the airport for Tuesday's fixture against Biratnagar Kings, and the pair helped deliver an eight-run win. Franchise insiders said they had been preparing to bring bigger Pakistani names for season 3, but that is no longer possible. Kathmandu Gorkhas operations head Shrawan Bahadur Singh revealed his club has also signed a Pakistani player but has not been able to announce the deal because of the NOC issue.

A Draft System for Foreign Players

Looking beyond this season, franchise officials say they will remain wary of Pakistani cricketers when signing foreign players for the next edition. Their bigger demand is structural: a CAN-run draft system for foreign players, replacing open bidding with a regulated order of picks.

Khatiwada linked the idea directly to money. “As the NPL is growing, big stars are coming, but it is also having a negative impact on franchises financially,” he said. “Many foreign players' agents demand more money every season as there is no guideline to how much a franchise can spend on overseas stars. If there is a draft system, it would ensure a cap on the players based on their caliber, making it easier for franchises in many ways.” Singh backed the proposal, saying a draft would make it very easy to manage budgets beforehand, while accepting that implementation is up to the Cricket Association of Nepal.

The argument is not new in franchise cricket. Major League Cricket in the United States faced a similar PCB NOC problem in 2023, and again in June 2026. A cricket expert associated with the American league told the Post the last-minute demand was unprofessional, arguing that any such rule should be clarified beforehand rather than sprung on franchises and fans.

CAN's Position and the Road Ahead

The Cricket Association of Nepal says it is working to resolve the dispute. Secretary Paras Khadka told journalists on Tuesday that CAN had received an email from the PCB seeking an additional fee for Pakistani players in the NPL, and expressed surprise at new conditions imposed on the eve of the tournament after players had already arrived with their clearances. CAN is talking to franchise owners and operations heads, has contacted the PCB's International Cricket Operations Department, and is coordinating with the Pakistani Embassy in Nepal.

CAN officials, including president Chatur Bahadur Chand and Khadka, have also said it is up to the franchises themselves to negotiate with the PCB, fulfil the required procedures and then secure the clearance. That leaves the blocked players' immediate future in the clubs' hands, with no resolution announced before Thursday's matches, which fans can follow on the live scores page.

There is at least some hope for next season. Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, in Nepal as a broadcast analyst, told the Himalaya Sports preview that he expects the matter to be resolved and hopes players will be allowed to play next year. Khatiwada struck a similar note: franchises have had no such trouble bringing players from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, and he hopes the PCB solves the issue so fans can see their favourite stars play.