WCL 2025: PCB Issues Blanket Ban On Future Participation In Tournament
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a blanket ban on participation in the future editions of the World Championship of Legends.
Published : August 3, 2025 at 5:35 PM IST
Hyderabad: The Pakistan Cricket Board announced a blanket ban on Sunday on its players’ participation in the future editions of the World Championship of Legends. They have accused the tournament organisers of being ‘biased’ and lacking sporting integrity. The decision comes after the Indian team withdrew from both their group-stage and semifinal match against Pakistan, standing in solidarity with the country’s stand against keeping any bilateral sporting ties with the neighbouring country in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Blanket ban from participation in future editions of WCL
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced its decision to issue a blanket ban.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announces that it is issuing a blanket ban from future participation in the World Championship of Legends (WCL)," the PCB said in a statement.
The board also took strong exception to the decision of awarding points to India despite them forfeiting the match and called it tainted with hypocrisy and bias. India were set to meet Pakistan in the group stage, but the players like Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, and Harbhajan Singh cited national sentiment after the terror attack.
The PCB 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 PCB said.
"The cancellation was not based on cricketing merit but on appeasing a specific nationalistic narrative. This sends an unacceptable message to the international sporting community."
The PCB further added that it is compelled to take a firm stance.
"This bias, masquerading as sensitivity, sends an unacceptable message to the international sporting community."
"In light of this unfortunate development, which underscores a clear and intolerable pattern of external influence and a disregard for the principles of sporting neutrality, the Pakistan Cricket Board is compelled to take a firm stance.
Pakistan enter the final of WCL 2025
As India withdrew from the semi-final against Pakistan, they advanced into the final of the tournament directly. Pakistan then lost against South Africa in the title decider by nine wickets.
