Pakistan cricket team's future participation in World Championship of Legends (WCL) has now been put on hold after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued a "blanket ban". According to the ESPNCrcinfo report, the decision comes after India forfeited the group stage and in the semi-final match against arch-rivals.
PCB bans WCL participation
As per the report, the board cited "biased" conduct by the tournament organisers. The PCB in it's statement said, "The cancellation was not based on cricketing merit but on appeasing a specific nationalistic narrative.This sends an unacceptable message to the international sporting community.
They further said,"However, we cannot allow our players to be part of events where the spirit of the game is overshadowed by skewed politics that undermine the very essence of sportsmanship and the gentleman's game."
Why did India forefit matches against Pakistan in WCL 2025?
The Pahalgam attack has left a deep impact on relations between India and Pakistan due to which Indian players had decided to forefit the match during the group stage. Players such as Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Yusuf Pathan and Robin Uthappa had also refused to play their group match against the Pakistan Champions. The organisers later issued an apology over the cancellation of the match stating that public sentiment must always be respected.
India Champions managed to make it to the semi-final of the tournament. However, they were scheduled to face Pakistan again after the Men in Green topped the league standings.
Before the matchday, Indian sponsor EaseMyTrip has pulled out of the India-Pakistan semi-final of the World Championship of Legends, citing terror concerns. In a public statement, the company's founder has said that terror and cricket cannot go hand in hand.
However, just hours before the match, Indian Champions decided to forfeit the semi-final match as well. They later released a statement which said, "With a heavy heart, India Champions have decided to withdraw from the semi-final match against Pakistan. This decision wasn’t made lightly. While we live and breathe cricket, our players have faced emotional turmoil and misplaced judgment when all they’ve ever carried is pride for the nation."
"We stand by them and their right to play without fear or blame. We may step away from this match, but not from our principles. Country over game. Integrity over everything. Jai Hind. Jai Bharat."
