World Championship of Legends:A fresh controversy has erupted ahead of the match between India and Pakistan in Season 3 of the World Championship of Legends (WCL). Pakistan Champions have withdrawn from the tournament, a move attributed to certain conditions imposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
According to sources, the PCB made the issuance of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) conditional on Indian players offering a written apology regarding the controversy surrounding the India-Pakistan match last year and mandating a handshake between players from both teams this time around. The WCL management refused to accept these conditions, prompting Pakistan to decide to pull out of the tournament.
PCB's conditions for the NOC
The 'Pakistan Champions' team required an NOC from the PCB to participate in the WCL. Although their opening match against Bangladesh was postponed due to technical reasons, reports suggested that the issue regarding the NOC was the underlying cause.
According to sources, the PCB was willing to grant the NOC but imposed certain conditions. The most significant of these was a requirement for the Indian players to issue a written apology regarding last year's controversy. Additionally, the PCB wanted the Indian and Pakistani players to shake hands during the match.
A source revealed that while the PCB had linked the NOC to specific conditions, the WCL management did not accept all of the board's demands. The organizers agreed to terms related to commercial aspects and the tournament itself but rejected the demands for an apology from the Indian team and the handshake.
What happened last year?
Last year, a controversy arose regarding a cricket match between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack. India refused to play against Pakistan in the WCL. The group stage match did not take place, and the Indian team subsequently refused to take the field against Pakistan in the semi-final as well.
Pakistan benefited directly from this, securing a spot in the final via a walkover. However, they lost to South Africa in the title clash. There was also considerable discussion at the time regarding the handshake between the players of the two teams.
Now, the PCB reportedly wanted a written apology from the Indian players regarding last year's incident and insisted that a handshake take place between the two teams this time.
India-Pakistan Match Scheduled for October 10
The match between India and Pakistan was originally scheduled for October 10 in the initial lineup for WCL Season 3. However, the match will no longer take place following Pakistan's withdrawal from the tournament. Organizers issued an official statement on Monday confirming the withdrawal of the Pakistan Champions.
WCL stated that the Pakistan Champions would not participate in Season 3 due to unforeseen circumstances, and the tournament would now proceed with six teams.
What did Pakistan say?
Interestingly, the official statement from Pakistan Champions made no mention of the alleged conditions regarding a PCB apology or handshakes. The team directly cited the failure to obtain an NOC as the reason for withdrawing from the tournament.
Pakistan Champions stated that the team would be unable to participate in the WCL because the PCB did not issue the necessary NOC. The team also expressed respect for the PCB's authority and its decision.
Shahid Afridi Did Not Arrive Either
Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was slated to lead the 'Pakistan Champions' team. However, he was not present in the UAE during the team's opening match against Bangladesh. Pakistan was also scheduled to play against Australia on Monday, but that match was cancelled as well.
Pakistan Champions had reached the finals in both previous editions of the WCL, finishing as runners-up on both occasions. They had a chance to clinch the title in the third season too, but have now been forced out of the tournament due to a dispute regarding the No Objection Certificate (NOC).
The biggest question arising from this entire episode is how the shadow of the India-Pakistan cricketing dispute has now extended to the Legends cricket circuit. On one hand, the PCB reportedly linked the issuance of the NOC to an apology and a handshake, while on the other, the WCL organizers refused to accept these conditions. Consequently, the India-Pakistan match scheduled for October 10 will not take place.
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