
Cricket
Everest Premier League withdraws case against Cricket Association of Nepal
CAN held Nepal T20 from December 24, 2020 to January 11, 2023 amid criticism but the country’s first ever official franchise league was marred by spot-fixing scandals.
Sports Bureau
Everest Premier League Private Ltd, the organiser of franchise-based Everest Premier League T20 cricket tournament, on Tuesday withdrew its case against Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) that was subjudice at the Supreme Court since May.
EPL had filed a petition against the country’s cricket governing body on May 27 accusing CAN of handpicking Indian management company Seven3Sports as the commercial and strategic partnership against the law.
CAN and EPL were already at loggerheads by then, after CAN had announced it would not sanction any other similar franchise tournament in the country that poured cold water on EPL's plans to hold the fifth edition of the tournament in November last year.
CAN acting secretary Durga Raj Pathak confirmed to the Post that EPL founder Aamir Akhtar withdrew the case.
“EPL founder Akhtar had pulled out of the case as per our request,” said Pathak. “We will now discuss with EPL organisers and also CAN executive committee if to sanction EPL as the official franchise event and also the modality of the tournament.”
CAN held Nepal T20 from December 24, 2020 to January 11, 2023 amid criticism but the country’s first ever official franchise league was marred by spot-fixing scandals.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police have found involvement of 10 people (including four Nepali and six foreigners) in the scandal. The CIB also claimed that Seven3Sports had ‘non-transparent roles’ in spot-fixing and financial transactions.
Following the scandal, both CAN and Seven3Sports unilaterally ended their partnership for Nepal T20 in January this year.