PCB Bans Pakistan Team From Future Participation In World Championship Of Legends After India Refused To Play

The Pakistan Cricket Board has officially pulled its national team from all future editions of the World Championship of Legends (WCL), following a recent controversy involving India’s withdrawal from the semi-final clash.

PCB Criticizes WCL’s “Biased” Actions

During its 79th Board of Governors (BoG) meeting held online and chaired by Mohsin Naqvi, the Pakistan Cricket Board expressed serious disappointment over how the WCL handled India’s decision to forfeit. The board questioned the credibility of awarding points to a team that refused to show up.

The PCB described WCL’s decision as “appalling” and claimed the press releases announcing the cancelled India vs. Pakistan matches were full of double standards and favoritism. They accused the tournament organizers of presenting a fake image of promoting peace while bowing to political and business motives.

The statement from PCB added that the WCL had compromised its integrity by showing a pattern of letting outside forces interfere with sport. It emphasized that the tournament had lost its neutrality and had failed to maintain the core values of fair competition and unbiased conduct.

India Legends Forfeit Sparks Controversy

According to PCB, the tipping point was India’s move to back out of their semi-final match against Pakistan. Several Indian players, including Shikhar Dhawan, had earlier refused to play against Pakistan in Birmingham during the group stage, adding more tension to the situation.

The semi-final was scheduled to be another face-off between the two rivals, but India pulled out again, which led to WCL giving them the points. This move sparked outrage in Pakistan’s cricket circle and eventually led to the decision to completely sever ties with the competition.

PCB Takes Stand for Fair Play

“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,” the PCB stated, making it clear that they will not compromise on fairness.

The board stressed that it won’t support an event where fairness, equality, and neutral governance are compromised. The tone of the statement reflected strong frustration toward WCL and what PCB sees as growing political interference in international cricket events.

BoG Members Support PCB Decision

The virtual BoG meeting had a long list of participants who backed the decision. Among those present were Sumair Ahmed Syed, Salman Naseer, Zaheer Abbas, Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Sajjad Ali Khokhar, and Zafarullah Jadgal. All agreed that the Pakistan Cricket Board must protect its integrity on the global stage.

Other attendees included Tanveer Ahmed, Tariq Sarwar, Muhammad Ismail Qureshi, Anwaar Ahmad Khan, Adnan Malik, Usman Wahla (special invitee), and Mir Hassan Naqvi, the Additional Secretary. Their collective backing gives strength to PCB’s firm exit from the WCL platform.

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