DUBAI: 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 clash was scheduled to take place on October 10 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, reports said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to players participating in the WCL, prompting Pakistan Champions to pull out of the event.
Pakistan Champions confirmed their withdrawal from the tournament on October 5.
The team’s opening match against Bangladesh Champions, scheduled for October 3, had already been postponed. It was initially attributed to “technical issues”, but subsequent reports linked the postponement to the reported NOC issue involving the PCB.
There had also been uncertainty over the participation of Pakistan Champions captain-designate Shahid Afridi. Although Afridi had promoted the tournament on social media, he will now reportedly not feature in the event.
Pakistan Champions’ scheduled match against Australia Champions on October 5 was also affected amid uncertainty surrounding the team’s participation.
According to reports, 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 as runners-up in both previous editions of the WCL. However, their campaign in Season 3 has now ended without the team taking the field.
Meanwhile, India Champions began their campaign with a victory over Australia Champions.
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