After India refused to face Pakistan in the WCL due to political tensions, PCB banned Pakistan from future editions. PCB slammed the organizers for awarding points to India and accused them of hypocrisy over the ‘peace through sport’ stance.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to impose a ban on the Pakistan Champions’ participation in the future editions of the World Championship of Legends (WCL).
The statement was released after Indian legends refused to play Pakistan in the recently concluded edition of the WCL due to political tensions between the two nations in the aftermath of the Pahalgam Terror Attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
India Champions pulled out of the group-stage clash against Pakistan after former Indian cricketers, including skipper Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Pathan Brothers – Irfan and Yusuf, after severe backlash and criticism from the Indian public for organizing the contest, especially after the Pahalgam Terror Attack, which killed 28 tourists, including 26 Indians, and two foreign nationals, on April 22.
After India and Pakistan qualified for the semifinal, former Indian cricketers boycotted the clash against the arch-rivals, reaffirming their previous stand, givinga walkover to Shahid Afridi-led side to the final.
Pakistan Champions banned from participating in WCL
Pakistan Cricket Board, led by Mohsin Naqvi, issued a statement regarding the ban on Pakistan Champions from participating in the World Championship of Legends. In a statement, PCB called out organizers’ hypocrisy and criticized them for awarding the points to the Shahid Afridi-led side after Yuvraj Singh’s India Champions.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announces that it is issuing a blanket ban from future participation in the World Championship of Legends (WCL),” the board said in a statement.
“The PCB, during its 79th BoG meeting held virtually under the chairmanship of Mohsin Naqvi, reviewed with considerable disappointment WCL’s appalling conduct of awarding points to a willfully forfeiting team, and the content of the press releases of the WCL announcing the cancellation of the scheduled India vs. Pakistan legends matches, which were tainted with hypocrisy and bias,” the statement added.
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The relationship between India and Pakistan has become further strained following a terrorist attack on civilians in Baisaran Meadows, which is seven kilometres from Pahalgam town of Jammu and Kashmir. However, India responded by launching Operation Sindoor, with the defence forces targeting terror camps located in Pakistan.
Following the horrendous terror attack in Pahalgam, there were growing calls for boycotting any sporting engagements with Pakistan.
‘Peace through sport is selectively applied’
The Pakistan Cricket Board expressed its disappointment over the WCL organizers’ duality over their stance on ‘peace through sport’, stating that the principle was selectively applied.
“The contents of the said press releases highlight a duality where the narrative of ‘peace through sport’ is selectively applied and sporting events are held hostage to political expediency and narrow commercial interests,” the statement concluded.
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Meanwhile, Pakistan Champions lost the WCL 2025 Final to South Africa by nine wickets at Edgbaston in Birmingham. After posting a total of 195/5, Pakistan failed to defend the total as AB de Villiers’ scintillating unbeaten 120-run knock helped South Africa Champions chased down 196-run target with 19 balls to spare.