PCB Implements 'Blanket Ban' on Future WCL Partcipation

The Pakistan Cricket Board has reportedly taken a bold decision after a humiliating incident in the World Championship of Legends (WCL). Pakistan Champions were supposed to face India Champions in the limited-overs tournament, but the latter team refused to play their arch-rivals. The refusal to take the field against the Pakistan side was due to strong public sentiment after the recent Pahalgam terror attack.

As a result, Pakistan advanced to the final, where they eventually lost the trophy to the South Africa Champions. Led by one of the most dangerous batters in IPL history, AB de Villiers, the Proteas side secured a convincing victory. Following the tournament's conclusion, the Pakistan Cricket Board decided to issue a complete ban on participating in future World Championship of Legends tournaments. PCB claimed that WCL's response to India's withdrawal was biased and hypocritical.

PCB Ban WCL Participation Following Defeat to South Africa

It was initially reported that PCB had banned Pakistan's name from being used for teams which participated in privately run cricket tournaments. A huge squabble around India's participation during the 2025 World Championship of Legends (WCL) led to this drastic measure.

The new PCB policy, announced after a Board of Directors meeting, means that no privately organised cricket league, whether domestic or international, will be permitted to use Pakistan in their team titles or branding going forward. The move was intended to protect the country’s reputation on the international stage and to make a clear distinction between official national teams and franchises.

The PCB’s decision follows the controversy at the WCL, where the India Champions players refused twice to compete against the Pakistan Champions. This led to major interruptions and drew widespread negative attention globally. The Board determined that such incidents had the potential to harm Pakistan’s reputation, making the ban a necessary measure to protect the country’s image.

In a follow-up measure to the name restrictions, the PCB ban WCL participation entirely. The Asian cricket board cited bias from tournament organisers towards India. The decision comes after India Champions forfeited two matches against Pakistan because of strained political relations.

The decision came after PCB held its 79th BoG meeting virtually, under the leadership of Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. In the meeting, it was concluded that the conduct of awarding points to a wilfully forfeiting team represented the organisers' double standards.

India Boycott WCL 2025

The much-anticipated semi-final clash between India and Pakistan did not take place, as India boycott WCL group stage match against Pakistan. This cancellation sparked significant controversy. It even prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to introduce a ban on the use of their country's name by private league teams in their branding.

India participated in the 2025 World Championship of Legends (WCL) as the India Champions. The team comprised retired and non-contracted cricket legends such as Yuvraj Singh (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina. The Pathans, one of the more famous brothers in cricket, also participated in the tournament.
The India Champions had a challenging group stage, securing only one win from five games, with three losses and one no result (against Pakistan, due to India's boycott following geopolitical tensions and the Pahalgam terror attacks). Despite their poor form, a win in their final group match against West Indies Champions allowed India to qualify for the semi-finals on net run rate, edging out England Champions.