PCB Imposes Blanket Ban on World Championship of Legends Participation

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has declared a complete prohibition on taking part in upcoming editions of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) following the 2025 competition.

The verdict was reached during the PCB’s 79th Board of Governors (BoG) assembly, conducted virtually and presided over by Mohsin Naqvi.

This action follows the controversy surrounding the 2025 WCL, with the PCB pointing to biased practices and politically influenced actions by the tournament organizers.

The board voiced its discontent with the decision to award points to a team that intentionally forfeited a game, deeming the behavior as unjust.

The disagreement arose after the India Champions declined to play two scheduled matches against the Pakistan Champions, which included a league game and the critical semi-final, due to political tensions between the two nations.

Consequently, each team received a point for the abandoned group stage match. In the semi-final, the Pakistan Champions progressed to the final due to a walkover.

In a formal statement, the PCB reaffirmed its established position on maintaining a distinction between sports and politics.

“The PCB has consistently supported the separation of sports and politics. It is our firm conviction that cricket, similar to other international sports, should exist solely as a medium for fostering goodwill, healthy rivalry, and mutual respect,” the board stated.

“It is regrettable and deeply troubling for the future of independent sporting events when a tournament involving celebrated players is governed by sentiments that undermine this fundamental principle,” it added.

The PCB also strongly denounced a press release issued by the WCL organizers after the Pakistan-India match was called off, labeling it as “prejudiced” and “politically motivated.”

“The political influence compromised the championship’s objective,” the PCB remarked. “The press release was clearly an instance of bias.”

“The WCL’s subsequent apology seemed to be issued under pressure from a particular form of nationalism,” the statement added, noting that such double standards are unacceptable in international sports.

As a result, the PCB has officially decided to abstain from any future WCL tournaments, affirming that it will avoid any event that is politically tainted.

COO Sumair Ahmed Syed, PSL CEO Salman Naseer, Zaheer Abbas, Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Sajjad Ali Khokhar, and Zafarullah Jadgal were among those present at the virtual BoG meeting.

Also in attendance were Tanveer Ahmed, Tariq Sarwar, Muhammad Ismail Qureshi, Anwaar Ahmad Khan, Adnan Malik, Usman Wahla (special invitee), and Mir Hassan Naqvi (Additional Secretary).