Iftikhar Ahmed and Hunain Shah, the two Pakistani players on the Janakpur Bolts roster, are set to return to Pakistan after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not signal permission for them to play for the Nepali franchise. Janakpur Bolts Chief Executive Officer Niroj Khatiwada said the club contacted the PCB by email seeking clearance but has received no positive response, and that the franchise will wait only until Thursday for a final reply before sending the players back. In anticipation of their departure, the Bolts have already moved to reinforce the squad, adding two players from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in their place, as reported by Nepal Press and Ratopati on 28 October.

PCB yet to give the green light

According to chief executive Khatiwada, the franchise chose the formal route first. Janakpur Bolts wrote to the PCB by email, asking the board to signal permission for Iftikhar Ahmed and Hunain Shah to continue with the team. That enquiry has not been answered positively, and as of the latest reports the board has given no indication that it will allow the Pakistani duo to remain with the franchise.

Both Nepali outlets describe the same sequence of events: an email sent to the PCB, no positive reply received, and departure preparations now under way in Janakpur. The reports do not detail the board's reasoning, nor do they record any formal refusal. What they make clear, on the franchise's own account, is that the absence of a positive response from the PCB has effectively decided the matter, leaving the club to plan for life without two of its overseas recruits.

Thursday set as the deadline

Khatiwada said the franchise will hold on until Thursday for a final reply from the Pakistan board. If nothing positive arrives by then, Janakpur Bolts will send Iftikhar and Hunain back to Pakistan. The stated timeline converts an uncertain situation into a clear cut-off point, after which the club says it will act on the departures.

The key points of the development are as follows:

  • Players affected: Pakistani recruits Iftikhar Ahmed and Hunain Shah are set to return home.
  • Reason: The PCB did not signal permission for them to play after the franchise's email enquiry.
  • Deadline: Janakpur Bolts will wait until Thursday for a final reply before sending the players back.
  • Replacements: Two players from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been added to the squad in their place.

Replacements arrive from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

With the Pakistani pair's continued participation in doubt, Janakpur Bolts have moved quickly to fill the vacancy. Two players, from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, have been added to the franchise in place of Iftikhar and Hunain. The reports did not disclose the names of the new signings, but the change of personnel has been confirmed alongside the news of the impending departures.

The switch alters the franchise's overseas combination and hands the incoming players the slots vacated by the Pakistani duo. For the club's management, the signings serve a practical purpose: with a final answer from the PCB not expected before Thursday, the Bolts have ensured that replacement options are already in place rather than waiting for the deadline to pass before acting.

What it means for Janakpur Bolts

Losing Iftikhar Ahmed, a Pakistan international, and Hunain Shah strips the squad of two overseas players mid-campaign, a disruption no franchise welcomes. The fact that the club first wrote to the PCB by email suggests it hoped to secure the duo's continued availability through official channels. With that attempt producing no positive response, the franchise has pivoted to its contingency, signing the two replacements from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh rather than leaving its planning in limbo.

Khatiwada's comments also signal that the club intends to keep control of the situation. By publicly setting Thursday as the final date for a PCB reply, the chief executive has made clear that Janakpur Bolts will not wait indefinitely on a decision outside its hands. If the expected reply does not come, or if it is not favourable, the return of Iftikhar and Hunain to Pakistan will proceed as planned.

Attention now turns to Thursday. A positive response from the PCB before then would represent the only route for the Pakistani pair to stay with the franchise under the timeline described by its chief executive. Failing that, the departures will be confirmed, and the newly signed players from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will step into the squad as the official replacements for Iftikhar Ahmed and Hunain Shah.

For now, the club's position is straightforward: the email has been sent, the deadline has been set, and the replacements have been secured. Janakpur Bolts say they are prepared for either outcome, but the default course, unless the PCB responds positively by Thursday, is the return of the two Pakistani players home.