Cricket fans in Nepal will get to hear from one of the fastest bowlers the game has seen.
Former Pakistan pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar has joined Himalaya Sports as a special guest for its coverage of the third Nepal Premier League (NPL).
He will not be calling every match. His role is on the pre-match and post-match programme, “Red Bull Cricket Live in Association with Bajaj Pulsar”.
What Akhtar will do
Akhtar is expected to share what he learned from international cricket, break down technical parts of the game and talk about the potential of Nepali cricket. His visit to Nepal is also expected to include cricket-related interactions and meet-and-greet events with fans.
The tournament
The third edition of the NPL is scheduled to run from October 26 to November 21, 2026. Himalaya Sports holds the broadcast rights. It says its coverage will include live matches, pre-match and post-match analysis, and interviews.
The wider broadcast team
Akhtar joins others the network has announced:
- Navneet Krishna, a presenter with experience in Indian sports broadcasting
- Kevin O’Brien, a former Ireland international
- Bardan Chalise, a former Nepal national-team player
The network is building its coverage around live cricket, studio analysis, interviews and discussion before and after matches. Himalaya Sports chief executive officer and director Suraj Giri has described Akhtar’s involvement as a significant step for sports broadcasting in Nepal, according to reports. The network wants to bring international cricket experience to domestic viewers.
Who is Akhtar?
Known as the “Rawalpindi Express”, Akhtar played for Pakistan from 1997 to 2011. He took 178 wickets in 46 Tests, 247 wickets in 163 One-Day Internationals and 19 wickets in 15 Twenty20 Internationals.
He is best remembered for a delivery at the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup, recorded at 161.3 kilometres per hour against England. That mark is widely recognised as the fastest recorded delivery in international cricket.
Why it matters
The signing adds a name that cricket followers far beyond Nepal will know. It could draw in viewers who follow international cricket as well as those who follow the domestic league, and his views on bowling, tactics and player development could give Nepali audiences an experienced outside perspective.
The tournament will show how well the network blends international voices with analysis of Nepal’s own players and teams.
