WCL 2025: PCB imposes blanket ban following India’s withdrawal from matches

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has imposed a blanket ban on Pakistan’s participation in all future editions of the World Championship of Legends (WCL). This move comes in response to India’s withdrawal from matches against Pakistan, citing national sentiments following public outrage.

India was originally scheduled to face Pakistan in the group stage of the tournament. However, due to widespread backlash on social media and the withdrawal of players like Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina, the fixture was cancelled by the organisers. Later, India was supposed to meet Pakistan again in the semi-final, but the team pulled out just a day before the match, giving Pakistan a direct route to the final. Pakistan eventually lost the title clash to South Africa.

On Sunday, the PCB released an official statement, strongly criticising the WCL organisers. The board, led by Mohsin Naqvi, expressed its discontent with how the events were handled and said it had no option but to implement a 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, 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 PCB said in their statement.

“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,” it added.

The backlash in India follows the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 tourists were killed. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The WCL’s second edition concluded on Saturday, with South Africa defeating Pakistan by nine wickets in the final held at Edgbaston, Birmingham.