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BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan Champions owner Kamil Khan has expressed his views on India Champions’ decision to forfeit the semi-final clash against arch-rival in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025.
Speaking in an interview with a private channel, Kamil lauded Pakistan Champions’ performance and highlighted Pakistan’s unbeaten run in the tournament.
“There’s no regret about playing the semifinal because of the way our team had been performing and the kind of cricket we played — we remained unbeaten in the league matches,” he said.
“The semifinal was a tough game, but we weren’t concerned about the opposition because our goal was to reach the final and win the trophy. So it didn’t matter to us who we were going to face or how the semifinal would turn out,” Kamil added.
He commented on WCL giving Pakistan a walkover over the defending champions, stating that they deserved the outcome.
“If we are advancing to the final via a walkover, it’s the result of the team’s collective hard work. Given the way the team has performed, we fully deserve to be in the final,” he concluded.
Earlier, 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.
“We respect the India Champions’ decision to withdraw from the semi-finals, and we equally respect the Pakistan Champions’ readiness to compete.
The statement came at a time when there were questions arising over the clash between arch-rivals due to strained ties between the two neighbouring nations.
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 were also the reigning champions, refused to play a group stage fixture against Pakistan, resulting in one point awarded to both teams.
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