The involvement of a group of Pakistan players in Nepal Premier League 2026 has become uncertain because the Pakistan Cricket Board has not finalised the no-objection certificates required for them to take part.
Cricinfo reported that people connected with the tournament said previously issued permissions had also been put on hold. Some of the affected players have already reached Kathmandu, while others were understood to have postponed their journeys as they waited for clarity.
Which players are affected?
The Pakistan contingent named in the report includes T20 captain Sahibzada Farhan, Haider Ali, Hunain Shah, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Hasan Ali and Usama Mir. None of them is currently attached to a Pakistan squad whose schedule overlaps with the NPL, which runs from October 26 to November 21.
Reported fee remains unconfirmed
According to Cricinfo, tournament contacts believed the PCB was seeking a fee of about US$25,000 for each Pakistan player before granting clearance. The report stressed that it could not verify that the request had been made formally in writing, and the PCB had not provided an immediate response. It therefore remains unclear whether a fee is the reason for the delay.
Questions around the new contract system
The situation also raises questions about the PCB's revised central-contract framework. A category announced for T20 specialists was intended to give those players greater freedom to appear in overseas leagues when there was no conflict with Pakistan duty. The board has not publicly identified which players belong to that track or confirmed whether the arrangement is fully in operation.
What happens next
With the third NPL season beginning in Kirtipur, franchises and players are waiting for a resolution. Until the PCB issues or restores the necessary clearances, the availability of the Pakistan contingent cannot be treated as confirmed.
