The highly anticipated clash between Pakistan Champions and India Champions in Season 3 of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) has been cancelled after Pakistan Champions confirmed their withdrawal from the tournament.
The Pakistan-India legends’ match was scheduled to take place on October 10 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, Pakistan Champions decided to pull out of the competition amid reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had not issued No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the participating players.
According to media reports, Pakistan Champions confirmed their withdrawal on October 5. The team’s opening match against Bangladesh Champions, originally scheduled for October 3, had already been postponed. While technical issues were initially cited as the reason for the postponement, subsequent reports linked the delay to the absence of PCB-issued NOCs.
There was also uncertainty over the participation of former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, who had been named captain of Pakistan Champions. Although Afridi had promoted the tournament on social media, he will no longer feature in the competition.
Pakistan Champions’ scheduled match against Australia Champions on October 5 was also affected by uncertainty surrounding the team’s participation.
Reports said Pakistan Champions owner Kamil Khan held discussions with PCB officials in an attempt to resolve the issue, but the board reportedly maintained its position. Pakistan Champions had finished runners-up in both previous editions of the WCL. However, their campaign in Season 3 ended before they could play a single match.
Meanwhile, India Champions began their campaign with a victory over Australia Champions. The cancellation of the Pakistan-India clash means fans will once again miss the opportunity to watch former stars of the two arch-rivals face each other on the cricket field.