Shaun
Following the embarrassment faced by the Pakistan Legends side in the World Championship of Legends, the Pakistan Cricket Board has reportedly decided to ban all private cricket leagues from using the country’s name, according to a recent report. The decision by the PCB comes shortly after India Champions refused to play with their Pakistani counterparts in the semi-final of the tournament in Birmingham.
Prior to the semi-final clash, Indian players like Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan and Harbhajan Singh had also opted out of the league stage match against the arch-rivals. The cricketers attributed the decision to the rising geopolitical tensions between the two countries, especially in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and the ensuing Operation Sindoor launched by the Indian armed forces.
With India boycotting the semi-final clash against Pakistan, the neighbours had qualified for the final match. If a report by Telecom Asia Sport is to be believed, the Pakistan Legends side has been allowed to play the final match against South Africa on Saturday, but the PCB has made it clear that no future teams or leagues will be permitted to use the ‘Pakistan’ name without formal clearance by the cricket board.
The decision was reportedly taken by the PCB after an emergency meeting of the Board of Directors after India Champions refused to take the field twice against Pakistan.
“The decision was taken after a detailed discussion in the Board of Directors meeting on Thursday. The high-level authorities felt Indian players refusing to play Pakistan in the WCL’s second edition twice was hurtful to the name of the country,” www.telecomasia.net quoted a source as saying.
“Going forward, no private organisation will be allowed to use the country’s name in any capacity unless the PCB verifies the league’s legitimacy and reputation. All violators will face legal action,” it added.
Mint could not independently verify the report.
WCL on IND vs PAK match cancellation:
After the cancellation of the semi-final match, WCL had issued a statement writing, “At WCL, we have always believed in the power of sport to inspire and bring about positive change in the world. However, public sentiment must always be respected — after all, everything we do is for our audience,” the WCL statement read.
“We respect the India Champions’ decision to withdraw from the semi-finals, and we equally respect the Pakistan Champions’ readiness to compete. Taking all factors into consideration, the match between the India Champions and the Pakistan Champions has been called off,” it added.
