Nepal Premier League: only Hussain Talat plays as PCB's reported $25,000 NOC fee keeps 6 Pakistanis out

Only one of the seven Pakistani cricketers signed for the third season of the Nepal Premier League (NPL) has been able to play, after the Pakistan Cricket Board reportedly asked for $25,000 a player (about Rs 69 lakh at the current dollar rate) for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) at the last minute. The Kathmandu Post reported the figure, and ProPakistani followed it up on Friday.

Who is in and who is out

Janakpur Bolts' Iftikhar and Hunain sat on the bench for Tuesday's match against Karnali Yaks. The franchise's chief executive, Niroj Khatiwada, called it "a big blow for overall Nepali cricket" and confirmed neither will play this season. Both will stay in Nepal briefly to train with younger players; the franchise is paying their travel and hotel costs but not match fees, because their contracts paid per appearance.

Chitwan Rhinos had already flown Usama Mir in before he was ruled out, and signed Tom Taylor and Daniel Mousley as replacements. Kathmandu Gorkhas said they had signed another Pakistani player but never announced him because of the NOC uncertainty.

Sahibzada Farhan's case has a home angle: he has since joined Pakistan's squad for the ODI tri-series final against Sri Lanka in Lahore on Saturday.

What the PCB's rules say

The PCB has had an NOC policy for overseas leagues since 2020, but its published guidelines do not mention a $25,000 payment, ProPakistani noted. The board has not denied players foreign leagues in general: its records show about 40 players had received NOCs for various leagues in 2026 as of 8 August. A similar reported $25,000 demand caused confusion over Pakistani players at Major League Cricket in the United States in 2023 and again this year.

What happens next

The Cricket Association of Nepal says franchises, not the board, must negotiate clearances with the PCB. Franchise officials are now talking about a foreign-player draft to control costs, and some say they will think twice before signing Pakistanis again. Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, speaking on the NPL's opening-day broadcast, said he hoped Pakistan would "allow players for the next year."

Pakistani players are busy elsewhere this week too: a Pakistan side is at the Hong Kong Sixes, where it beat India on Friday.