Pakistan Players' NPL Participation in Doubt Over NOCs

The participation of Pakistan players in NPL Season 3 has been thrown into doubt on the eve of the tournament, after ESPNcricinfo reported that their no-objection certificates from the Pakistan Cricket Board have been put on hold. The report, published on October 25, 2026, says even players who had previously received certificates were told their permission to play was on hold.

Pakistan players' NPL participation in doubt

The participation of Pakistan players in the Nepal Premier League has been thrown into uncertainty over a lack of no-objection certificates, ESPNcricinfo reported on October 25, 2026. The report, by Cricinfo's Pakistan correspondent Danyal Rasool, says the board has not issued the certificates for the tournament, which starts on Monday, October 26, and runs until November 21, with all matches scheduled in Kathmandu.

Cricinfo said it spoke to multiple people involved in the NPL who confirmed that even players previously issued certificates had been instructed that their permission to take part was on hold. Geo Super reported the same development on October 25, also citing the ESPNcricinfo report. The reports do not say that any player has been ruled out, withdrawn, or replaced: some players due to play are already in Kathmandu, while others about to travel are understood to have delayed their plans until the issue is resolved.

The reported USD 25,000 NOC fee claim

Individuals at the NPL told ESPNcricinfo that the Pakistan Cricket Board required a fee in exchange for the certificates, believed to be in the region of USD 25,000 for each Pakistan player. That figure is a reported claim from people associated with the league, not a confirmed board demand: ESPNcricinfo was explicit that it could not confirm such a demand has been made in writing to the league.

The report also states that it is not yet clear whether the fee has become the sticking point or whether it has been demanded at all. The PCB did not immediately respond to ESPNcricinfo's request for comment, so there is no board version of events in the report to set against the league-side account. Until a written demand or a board statement appears, the USD 25,000 figure should be treated as an unverified report, while the hold itself is what the reporting establishes.

Pakistan players named in the NPL reports

The players named are Pakistan T20 captain Sahibzada Farhan, Haider Ali, Hunain Shah, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Hasan Ali and Usama Mir. ESPNcricinfo notes that none of them is in any Pakistan squad that clashes with the NPL dates, and none is currently part of Pakistan's ODI or Test plans, so the reports do not present this as a clash with international duty.

Team assignments are verified for five of the seven. Farhan and Hussain Talat are with Karnali Yaks, Hunain Shah and Iftikhar Ahmed are with Janakpur Bolts, and Usama Mir is with Chitwan Rhinos. Farhan had already arrived in Kathmandu before the report, as covered in Sahibzada Farhan Joins Karnali Yaks for NPL 2026, and Hunain Shah's move was already announced, as covered in Hunain Shah Joins Janakpur Bolts for NPL Season 3. No team is assigned here to Haider Ali or Hasan Ali, because the reports checked do not specify their franchises.

What the NOC hold means for the NPL opener

The immediate consequence is uncertainty for three franchises, not a confirmed change to any fixture. The schedule for NPL Season 3 begins on October 26 and runs to the final on November 21, and the reports give no indication that any match has been moved because of the NOC question. For Karnali Yaks, Janakpur Bolts and Chitwan Rhinos, the practical question is selection: whether their Pakistan players will be available, and from which match, with a player already in Kathmandu in a different position from one who has delayed travel.

The reports do not say that any franchise has announced a replacement, and none should be assumed from the hold alone. Fans checking the points table and live scores once play begins will see availability resolved on the field, team by team. The Cricket Association of Nepal has said it is continuously coordinating with the respective cricket boards of foreign players on the required certificates, with secretary Paras Khadka explaining that foreign players must obtain clearance from their national boards under the applicable regulations. That coordination is the route to watch for the next update.

PCB contract structure and the unresolved question

ESPNcricinfo's report sets the hold against a contract change announced by the PCB earlier this year. Under that structure, white-ball and red-ball cricket were distinguished, and a category called format track D designated some players as T20 specialists. In theory, players in that category would have freedom to play in as many T20 leagues as they wished, provided the leagues did not clash with international duty the board required of them.

The report is careful about how far that theory goes: the PCB has not publicly declared which track any Pakistan player falls into, or whether the new structure has even come into effect. For now, the story has a clear core and a clear limit: Pakistan players' participation is in doubt because, according to people involved in the league, their certificates are on hold, while the reason for the hold, including the reported fee, is not confirmed in writing and the board has not yet responded publicly.