Writ petition filed in Supreme Court to halt Nepal Premier League

Kathmandu, November 10 — A writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court demanding the suspension of the Nepal Premier League (NPL). The petition has been filed by Amir Akhtar, on behalf of Zora Sports Management. The petition is scheduled to be heard on Sunday in the bench of Justice Hari Prasad Phuyal.

Akhtar has argued in his writ that the Nepal Cricket Association (CAN) had agreed to grant the NPL franchise to him for a period of 10 years, and it is not permissible for another company to operate the league now. 

Speaking to Ratopati, Akhtar claimed that CAN had treated him unfairly and he had gone to court seeking justice. He further stated that he had been given full rights to the NPL but was not informed about the transfer of those rights to another company. Based on this, he argued that the league could not be operated by another entity.

Earlier, Akhtar had warned CAN not to operate the Nepal Premier League without his consent. However, CAN has proceeded with preparations for the NPL in its own way. The tournament is scheduled to begin on December 1 in Kathmandu.

CAN has already conducted an auction for the players of the competition, and all eight participating clubs are busy with their preparations. The clubs have also already spent significant amounts on preparing for the tournament.

However, a new dispute has now reached the court regarding the NPL. Former cricketer Amir Akhtar has claimed that he has been running the NPL under his name, and the registration of the league is also in his name.

"I, Amir Akhtar, am a former cricketer of Nepal and also the operator of the NPL and EPL. I want to highlight that I operated the first edition of the NPL with the consent of CAN," he said.

He also stated that if CAN agrees, he is willing to transfer the ownership of the Nepal Premier League to CAN. He has sent a letter regarding this to CAN, the National Sports Council, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Company Registrar's Office, and all eight clubs participating in the NPL.

What will happen if the Supreme Court issues an interim order?

The Supreme Court will conduct the first hearing on Sunday. The court will issue a show cause order and request written responses from both parties. Given the seriousness of the matter, the Supreme Court could issue an interim order as well.

If the Supreme Court issues an interim order after a one-sided hearing, the NPL will be suspended. However, the court will reveal the reasons and grounds for issuing such an order. Alternatively, the court may call both parties for a quick discussion and issue an short term interim order without revealing specific reasons. If this happens, the NPL will continue without any disruption.