The Chitwan Tigers franchise team has chosen not to withdraw the lawsuit they filed against the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) and the National Sports Council (Rakhep) regarding the unpaid funds owed to them from the Everest Premier League (EPL). Due to this, EPL may not take place in 2023. While the EPL and the other five franchise teams have decided to withdraw their cases, Chitwan Tigers has expressed their intention to continue with the lawsuit, citing the outstanding amount they are yet to receive.
More detail about EPL may not take place in 2023
Binita Chaudhary, the Operations Director of Chitwan Tigers, stated, “We have not withdrawn the case because Amir Akhtar, the head of EPL, has not fulfilled the payment. No money has been distributed to anyone. The exact amount that I am entitled to receive remains uncertain. Neither the ticket revenue nor any other funds have been disbursed to the stakeholders,” as reported by our sports correspondent.
Chaudhary explained, “Initially, Lalitpur Patriots and Pokhara Rhinos contemplated withdrawing the case, but the other teams advised against it. Eventually, Akhtar’s K Buzai withdrew the case. However, from the beginning, we emphasized to Akhtar that the case should not be withdrawn until all financial matters are resolved.”
In response, Amir Akhtar, the head of EPL, assured that the pending payment would be made soon. He clarified, “The broadcast revenue has not been cleared yet. We are committed to settling it within the next 1 week to 10 days.” In March, the six franchise teams jointly wrote a letter to EPL, urging the settlement of outstanding dues from gate receipts and broadcasting revenues at the earliest.
CAN have previously lodged a case in the Supreme Court, arguing that since they had organized the Nepal T20 League, they should also be allowed to host the EPL. CAN have awarded the contract for the Nepal T20 League to the Indian company Seven Three for a duration of 8 years, amounting to 330 million. However, due to various controversies, including match-fixing allegations and unfair practices, CAN terminated the contract last January. CAN expressed its intention to request the withdrawal of the EPL case.
Akhtar explained that the case was dropped after CAN granted permission to organize the EPL. He stated, “CAN sent us a letter around 15 to 20 days ago, granting permission to host the EPL. They requested the withdrawal of the case, as before. Our contract with Seven Three Sports has expired, and according to that agreement, other franchises were not allowed to participate in the league. We consulted our lawyer after receiving the letter and decided to withdraw the case,” said Akhtar.
He added, “The specific details regarding the organization of the EPL have not been discussed yet. The matter is currently under process. Once CAN inform us about the feasibility, we will make a clear announcement.”
CAN President Chatur Bahadur Chand emphasize that the Nepal T20 League remains their top priority? He stated, “We need to determine the modality for the EPL. We can either proceed with the Nepal T20 League or establish the Nepal Premier League. Other leagues are of secondary importance,” said Chand.
Chand elaborated, “After withdrawing the case, we sent a letter to initiate discussions and find a resolution. We wanted to address the remaining issues and reach a settlement. The extent of disputes that need to be resolved was a key point of discussion. Now, we will engage in thorough deliberations and make decisions based on the withdrawal of the case.”
