Launched following the national team’s qualification for the 2024 T20 World Cup, the Nepal Premier League (NPL) has since become a small but consistent part of the franchise calendar. A steady stream of jobbing county pros and franchise stalwarts have combined with the domestic talent of one of the sport’s most cricket-mad countries, playing in front of packed-out crowds at the TU International stadium in Kirtipur.

This year, the competition was set to host an influx of Pakistan stars, including national captain Sahibzada Farhan. Instead, the actions of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have limited the Pakistani participants to just two, and hurt their own reputation in the process.

The crux of the issue is the PCB’s unexpected removal of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for Pakistani players. Team owners and figures close to the cricketers have said that a figure of $25,000 was demanded for the release of each player. In most cases, the contracts were withdrawn and replacement overseas players were brought in.

The last-minute nature of the request has also rankled players. While some opted not to travel to Nepal at all, one was still hoping to take the field until 15 minutes before the toss in his team’s first game. Others remain in Nepal, hoping for a U-turn, with a lack of clarity also proving frustrating. Players speak of being contacted directly by the PCB, with no invoices or written communications making clear where they stand. Instead, the impression is of an underhanded shakedown ill-befitting a national governing body.

Hussain Talat and Jahandad Khan are the two Pakistan players who have taken the field so far, with team owners reluctantly stumping up some extra cash in return for an NOC. Whilst the PCB’s demands have stunned NPL franchises, and are highly unusual, the PCB have history. The situation mirrors this year’s Major League Cricket (MLC) tournament, when the PCB made similar unbudgeted demands. Some MLC owners vowed never to sign Pakistani players again.

“Around a week before the tournament started, when the PCB knew we could not replace players, that's when they came back and said you have to pay $25,000 per player for an NOC,” one MLC owner told me. “We asked them why they did not tell us this before and they didn’t respond, they just kept on demanding the money.” In this year’s MLC, fast bowler Haris Rauf was the only Pakistan player in the competition. He represented the San Francisco Unicorns, who were the sole franchise which agreed to pay the requested fee to secure his services.

The PCB’s demands would be unhelpful at any time, but given the current franchise landscape, they risk further alienating Pakistan from the world game. Pakistani players have often found themselves overlooked by franchise tournaments into which Indian money has been invested. No Pakistan player has yet played in South Africa’s SA20, where all six teams share owners with IPL franchises. After four teams in the Hundred were sold to IPL team owners, there were sighs of relief at the ECB when Abrar Ahmed was bought by Sunrisers Leeds following reports of a ‘shadow ban’ on Pakistan’s players. At a time when opportunities for Pakistani players in overseas franchise leagues are already limited, the PCB's approach to NOC requirements risks creating even greater barriers.

Nepal’s status as an emerging nation adds to the sense of an opportunity missed. The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) are keen to establish good relations with the PCB within Asia, and links forged now could bear rich fruit in future, as Nepal progress up the ladder. Instead, any goodwill has been extinguished.

For Pakistani players, the consequences of the PCB’s behaviour could be significant. For any freelance player, the best ability is availability, and if this is in question their value is greatly reduced. If organisers cannot be confident that Pakistani players will receive clear and straightforward approvals to participate, with a cloud of potential back-door financial demands at the last minute, there is a danger that they will simply look elsewhere when signing players.

There are also concerns that the PCB's stance could have wider consequences for international cricketing relations. Boards around the world may view the current situation as setting a precedent. If one board begins making late financial demands connected to player releases and NOCs, others could adopt similar positions. There is every chance that this may end up being an own goal by the PCB, with boards seeking reimbursements for NOCs for their own players participating in the Pakistan Super League.

A board that continues to damage its reputation within Pakistan and around the world has once again increased its unpopularity. The PCB is trying to use its most valuable asset, the players, as a commodity to sneakily make a quick buck. Instead, all they’ve achieved is creating controversy.

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