Kathmandu [Nepal], October 26 : The Pakistan Cricket Board has kept the No Objection Certificate of five players on hold despite previous issuance hours before the opening of Nepal’s biggest sporting carnival- the Nepal Premier League (NPL).
The tournament runs from October 26 to November 21. The decision from the PCB has now left the teams in limbo because of the last minute decision pushing the franchise team of the league to search for the substitutes.
The PCB also has asked Pakistani cricketer Sahibzada Farhan, who arrived in Nepal to play for the Karnali Yaks to return to Pakistan after being called up to the national team. Other Pakistani players Haider Ali, Hunain Shah, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Hasan Ali and Usama Mir. 
According to Grihendra Ghimire, Director of the Karnali Yaks, Farhan may return to the NPL after the national team’s match concludes on October 31. In the meantime, the franchise is preparing to bring in a replacement player.
Ghimire said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had requested an additional USD 25,000 to issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for Pakistani players who had arrived in Nepal to participate in the NPL. He expressed dissatisfaction with the demand, saying it was made only after the players had arrived in Nepal with their NOCs.
“Our objective in bringing Pakistani players to the NPL is not just to watch them play, but also to invest in the development of Nepali cricket. Nepali cricket is currently in a developmental phase. Under these circumstances, we are disappointed by this last-minute demand for additional funds,” Ghimire said.
He added that the Karnali Yaks had been considering paying the additional amount to ensure the players could participate in the tournament. However, Farhan’s call-up to the national team means he must return to Pakistan. Ghimire said the franchise expects him to rejoin the team after the match on October 31.
The third edition of the NPL, featuring eight teams, begins on Monday and runs until November 21 at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. 
The ESPNCricinfo on Sunday reported that “Individuals at the NPL also said the PCB required a fee in exchange for the NOCs, believed to be in the region of USD 25,000 for each Pakistan player. However, Cricinfo could not confirm that such a demand has been made in writing to the league.”
It remains unclear whether the reported fee is the main obstacle to the players’ participation or whether the PCB has formally demanded payment. There has been no comment from the Pakistan Board till now. 
Earlier this year, the PCB announced a new central contract structure distinguishing between red-ball and white-ball cricket. It also introduced a category known as Format Track D for players designated as T20 specialists. In principle, the arrangement would allow these players to participate in T20 leagues, provided their commitments did not conflict with international duties.
However, the PCB has not publicly disclosed which category individual players fall under or confirmed whether the new structure has taken effect. None of the Pakistani players scheduled to play in this year’s NPL is currently part of the country’s Test or ODI plans.