Kathmandu – The most awaited and the pre-controversial domestic tournament – “Nepal Premier League” received a green Signal after Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) and the Zohra Sports Management agreed on the new terms today.
After few meetings, CAN decided to hold the tournament rights within CAN and asked the private organization to put their hands in the event management during the tournament.
With the revised agreement, CAN will be the organizer of the NPL. “The organizer will be CAN now, whereas the Zohra Sports Management will be the event management company. The tournament will run according to the guidelines prepared by CAN”, Tanka Aanbuhang – President of CAN said to BBC.
Previously, Zohra Sports Management and CAN agreed to run the Premier League with Zohra sports as organizer of the event. But the dispute inside the governing body nearly eliminated the biggest domestic tournament of Nepal.
Earlier, members of CAN were hesitant to reach the new agreement as some CAN members wanted CAN to be the main organizer of the event. They were also skeptical about authorizing private companies to host the NPL as it could jeopardize their public image in case things don’t get executed the way they wanted.
“Premier League can be managed by Private companies/organizations and its an international trends these days. We know Indian Premiere League is managed by IMG Worldwide(USA), Sri Lankan League is organized and managed by Somerset Entertainment Ventures(UK). In Big tournaments, there is always public/private partnership”, added Aamir Akhtar, CEO of Zohra Sports.
As per the new agreement, CAN will be responsible for the management of Player’s match fees, umpires, board and lodging and tours during NPL. Along with that, CAN should submit the program to Asian Cricket Council (ACC) & International Cricket Council (ICC).
NPL will be organized between April to May this year across 5 cities in the country with Six franchises. The Six teams will play two dayers match, Twenty20 and 50 overs match.
| Team | Owned By | Captain |
|---|---|---|
| Tej | Panchakanya Group | Sharad Veshwakar |
| Colors X Factors | Teletalk Pvt Ltd | Gyanendra Malla |
| Vishal Group Warriors | Vishal Group | Parash Khadka |
| Kantipur Gurkhas | Kantipur Publications | Basanta Regmi |
| Jagdamba Giants | Shanker Group | Shakti Gauchan |
| Sagarmatha Legends | Ghorahi Cement | Binod Bhandari |
