WCL 2025: As India forfeits matches against Pakistan, PCB announces blanket ban on Pakistan's participation in future tournaments
The Board stated that continuing participation would go against the principles of sportsmanship and neutrality.
- Aug 4, 2025,
- Updated Aug 4, 2025 2:31 PM IST
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced a blanket ban on its players' participation in future editions of the World Championship of Legends (WCL), accusing the organisers of bias and lack of sporting fairness. The decision came after India forfeited both its group-stage and semifinal matches against Pakistan, citing its policy against bilateral sports engagements following the Pahalgam terror attack.
India’s team, which included former players Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, and Harbhajan Singh, opted out of the scheduled fixtures. With India’s withdrawal, Pakistan automatically advanced to the final. In a statement issued after a virtual board of governors meeting chaired by Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB said it was disappointed by WCL’s decision to award points to India despite the forfeits.
It described the move as unfair and questioned the rationale behind the tournament’s announcements. "The cancellation was not based on cricketing merit but appeared to align with a specific national narrative," the PCB said, adding that such decisions send the wrong message to the international sports community.
The board further said it could not support player involvement in events where the game's spirit is affected by political considerations. It stated that continuing participation would go against the principles of sportsmanship and neutrality.
The WCL, co-owned by Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn, had earlier issued an apology saying it did not intend to hurt public sentiments and only aimed to provide entertainment. The PCB, however, rejected the apology, calling it insincere and suggesting it confirmed the cancellation was influenced by non-sporting factors.
"The apology itself shows that the decision was not based on cricket but on external influences," the PCB said. Citing a pattern of decisions it views as inconsistent with fair play, the PCB said it had no option but to withdraw from the tournament entirely.
"In light of the circumstances and the disregard for neutrality, the PCB cannot allow its players to take part in future editions of the WCL," the statement added. Meanwhile, sources have indicated that WCL's Indian promoters were already considering excluding Pakistan from future tournaments.
(With inputs from PTI)
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced a blanket ban on its players' participation in future editions of the World Championship of Legends (WCL), accusing the organisers of bias and lack of sporting fairness. The decision came after India forfeited both its group-stage and semifinal matches against Pakistan, citing its policy against bilateral sports engagements following the Pahalgam terror attack.
India’s team, which included former players Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, and Harbhajan Singh, opted out of the scheduled fixtures. With India’s withdrawal, Pakistan automatically advanced to the final. In a statement issued after a virtual board of governors meeting chaired by Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB said it was disappointed by WCL’s decision to award points to India despite the forfeits.
It described the move as unfair and questioned the rationale behind the tournament’s announcements. "The cancellation was not based on cricketing merit but appeared to align with a specific national narrative," the PCB said, adding that such decisions send the wrong message to the international sports community.
The board further said it could not support player involvement in events where the game's spirit is affected by political considerations. It stated that continuing participation would go against the principles of sportsmanship and neutrality.
The WCL, co-owned by Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn, had earlier issued an apology saying it did not intend to hurt public sentiments and only aimed to provide entertainment. The PCB, however, rejected the apology, calling it insincere and suggesting it confirmed the cancellation was influenced by non-sporting factors.
"The apology itself shows that the decision was not based on cricket but on external influences," the PCB said. Citing a pattern of decisions it views as inconsistent with fair play, the PCB said it had no option but to withdraw from the tournament entirely.
"In light of the circumstances and the disregard for neutrality, the PCB cannot allow its players to take part in future editions of the WCL," the statement added. Meanwhile, sources have indicated that WCL's Indian promoters were already considering excluding Pakistan from future tournaments.
(With inputs from PTI)