Players and broadcasters of Nepal T20 League yet to receive payments as organisers flee midway: Reports

The Nepal T20 league's organizers have left the country, leaving some of the international players helpless, which might be a significant blow. The league started on December 24, 2022, but the players and broadcasters have refused to play without getting paid, putting the league on the brink of being negated.

As soon as it was discovered that Jatin Ahluwalia, the founder of Seven 3 Sports, had reportedly managed to escape to India, players on Tuesday refused to take the field. According to a report, the organization had signed an agreement with the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), which resulted in the establishment of the franchise league.

According to the terms of the agreement with CAN and other parties involved, Seven 3 Sports was required to pay a fee of between 33 and 39 million Nepali Rupees (US$250,000-290,000) for the first season,of which the first half had to be paid before the competition. The second half of the payment had to be transferred after the completion of two-thirds of the tournament.

Along with other activities, the firm has also committed to aiding in the preservation of at least two stadiums. The competition had numerous problems as soon as play on the field got underway on December 24. However, with only 20 games played, the organiser is allegedly gone with only four matches remaining to reach the predetermined two-thirds criterion.

Meanwhile, a number of international players staged a coup, resulting in a two-hour delay in Tuesday's inaugural game between the Kathmandu Knights and the Biratnagar Super Kings, which was eventually reduced to 9-overs.

“Pokhara Avengers in a temporary measure was able to pay their players from their own pocket in the hope payments from those funding the tournament would eventually come through, though several foreign players, most notably Sikandar Raza, nominated for three ICC Awards for his play in 2022, has already returned home," a report in the Emerging Cricket website said.

Meanwhile, the on-field game has not been free of controversy, with some fans and sections of the media who covered the tournament accusing players of spot-fixing. Sachin Timalsena, one of the event's commentators, went so far that he decided to pull out of the competition.

“After looking closely at Nepal T20 as a commentator, many suspicious activities were found. Now the organizers have disappeared. From today I will not have any involvement in this league as a broadcaster or commentator,” Timalsena said in the video he shared on Facebook.

Meanwhile, a letter regarding the legal work permits obtained for the international competitors at the competition was submitted to the Nepali Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Sports Council by the Abuse of Authority Investigation Commission.

“Concerns surrounding Seven 3 Sports’ financial stability and experience in competition operations were flagged as early as November 2020 when the ten-year agreement from Seven 3 Sports to CAN was signed for a reported worth of around 420 million Nepali Rupees (roughly US$3.5 million dollars),” the report added.

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