
The cancellation of India's match against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends has complicated the tournament's framework. India's first match in the WCL 2025 was scheduled for Sunday against Pakistan.
However, some Indian players, including Shikhar Dhawan, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, and others, refused to play against the neighboring country due to political concerns, prompting the organisers to cancel the match. If both teams qualify, they will be able to face each other again in the semifinals.
The calling off of the match has led to the Pakistan Champions' owner claiming that they will be awarded two points since it was the India Champions, who decided not to play against them.
The organisers must already be preparing for such a scenario, with a final between India and Pakistan a possibility if both progress to the semi-finals and win their respective penultimate matches.
When asked about the tournament's immediate future, Pakistan Champions owner Kamil Khan stated that the WCL will continue as scheduled, with no alterations. He went on to say that if the two teams meet again in the knockouts, WCL may have to step in.
"All the remaining matches are taking place. The tournament is going on as per schedule, and there are no changes. As for the semifinals and final, we're currently saying that if we make it to the semifinals, there will be four teams, and we will avoid matches between the two teams.
If we reach the final, then the decisions regarding that will be made then. And as for this match, the two points will be awarded to us, and we deserve those points as per the rules," Kamil Khan, owner of Pakistan Champions, was quoted by NDTV.
Pakistan has 3 points from one win in 2 matches, while India has one point as of now after one match. India will next play South Africa Champions on July 22 in Northampton, while Pakistan plays South Africa on July 25 in Leicester.
