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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to impose a ‘blanket ban’ on future participation in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) following the conclusion of the 2025 edition.
The decision came in the wake of the WCL 2025 row, with the board citing double standards and politically motivated conduct by the organizers.
The cricket board took the decision during its 79th BoG meeting held virtually under the chairmanship of Mohsin Naqvi. During the meeting, PCB expressed disappointment over awarding a point to a team that willfully forfeited.
The winners of the inaugural 2024 WCL edition, India Champions, refused to play two games against Pakistan Champions and willfully forfeited one league stage fixture and the all-important semi-final due to the strained ties between both countries.
As a result, during the group stage match, both teams were awarded one point for cancellation. In the semi-final, Pakistan Champions received a walkover, advancing to the final of WCL 2025.
“The PCB has always advocated for the separation of sports and politics. Our unwavering belief is that cricket, like other international sports, should solely serve as a platform for goodwill, healthy competition, and mutual respect,” the board said in a statement.
“For a tournament involving legendary players to be dictated by sentiments that undermine this fundamental principle is not only regrettable but also deeply concerning for the future of independent sporting events,” it added.
Additionally, the board condemned the press release issued by the WCL following the cancellation of the Pakistan-India legends match, terming it a biased and politically charged document.
“The championship’s purpose was compromised by political influence,” the PCB noted. “The press release was nothing short of a manifestation of prejudice.”
“The WCL’s subsequent apology appeared to be issued under the pressure of a particular form of nationalism,” the statement added, calling such double standards unacceptable in international sports.
Consequently, the PCB has formally decided not to send its team to future editions of the WCL, stating it will not take part in any event that has been politically compromised.
The virtual BoG meeting was attended by COO Sumair Ahmed Syed, CEO PSL Salman Naseer, Zaheer Abbas, Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Sajjad Ali Khokhar, and Zafarullah Jadgal.
Tanveer Ahmed, Tariq Sarwar, Muhammad Ismail Qureshi, Anwaar Ahmad Khan, Adnan Malik, Usman Wahla (special invitee), and Mir Hassan Naqvi (Additional Secretary) were also present in the meeting.
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