The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has imposed a blanket ban on future participation of Pakistani players in the World Championship of Legends (WCL), citing political bias and discriminatory treatment during the recently concluded tournament.
In an official statement, the PCB strongly criticized the organizers for barring Pakistani cricketers and allowing political considerations to influence the event’s conduct, particularly highlighting the refusal of the Indian team to play its scheduled matches against Pakistan.
Terming the WCL’s apology for “hurting sentiments” as “farcical,” the PCB said it inadvertently confirmed that the decision to exclude Pakistani players was not based on cricketing merit but rather a concession to a specific nationalistic narrative.
“This bias, masquerading as sensitivity, sends an unacceptable message to the international sporting community,” the PCB stated.
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The board further warned that politically influenced and biased decisions compromise the integrity and neutrality of international sports. It noted that participation in such an environment would be against the dignity of Pakistani players and could pose risks for future events.
The issue was discussed in detail during a virtual meeting of the PCB’s Board of Governors (BoG), attended by Sumair Ahmed Syed, Salman Naseer, Zaheer Abbas, Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Sajjad Ali Khokhar, Zafarullah Jadgal, Tanveer Ahmed, Tariq Sarwar, Muhammad Ismail Qureshi, Anwaar Ahmad Khan, Adnan Malik, Usman Wahla (special invitee), and Mir Hassan Naqvi (Additional Secretary).
During the Championship of Legends, the Indian team played only one match and refused to face Pakistan in both of their group-stage fixtures. Despite this, Pakistani players were sidelined, prompting strong backlash from the PCB.
Bilateral cricket between Pakistan and India has remained frozen since 2008. The only brief resumption came in 2012, when Pakistan toured India for an ODI series led by Shahid Afridi, resulting in a series win for Pakistan.
The PCB reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the sanctity of the sport and pledged to raise its voice at all relevant forums against politically tainted decisions in international cricket.
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