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BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan Champions have advanced to the final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 after India Champions forfeited their semi-final clash against arch-rival, which was scheduled for tomorrow.
The WCL released an official statement about India Champions’ forfeit in the semi-final against Pakistan.
“At WCL, we have always believed in the power of sport to inspire and bring about positive change in the world. However, public sentiment must always be respected – after all, everything we do is for our audience,” the official statement read.
The statement further respected India’s decision of withdrawal, along with Pakistan Champions’ willingness to compete in the tournament.
“We respect the India Champions’ decision to withdraw from the semi-finals, and we equally respect the Pakistan Champions’ readiness to compete.
Taking all factors into consideration, the match between the India Champions and the Pakistan Champions has been called off. As a result, Pakistan Champions will advance to the final,” it added.
Earlier, it was reported that several Indian players were reluctant to play the match against Pakistan.
The high-stakes semi-final between the Pakistan Champions and the India Champions was scheduled to take place in Birmingham.
Two weeks ago, India Champions, who are also the reigning champions, refused to play a group stage fixture against Pakistan, resulting in one point awarded to both teams.
India Champions WCL campaign started poorly, finding themselves at the bottom of the points table. Nevertheless, they managed to qualify for the semi-final after taking down West Indies in a thrilling chase.
The Men in Blue successfully chased down the target of 145 runs in just 14 overs to qualify, largely thanks to Stuart Binny’s half-century and Yousuf Pathan’s crucial innings.
On the other hand, Pakistan Champions, who were the runners-up of the last edition, remained dominant throughout the league stage fixtures, winning all of their games and finishing at the top of the points table.
Pakistan Champions routed Australia Champions for 74 runs in the WCL 2025 last league game, thanks to Saeed Ajmal’s explosive six-wicket haul.
Consequently, Pakistan Champions chased down the target without losing any wickets, finishing the match in the eighth over.
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