Pakistan pull out of WCL: PCB wanted Indian players to apologise for last year's drama, management rejects conditions

Pakistan Champions have officially withdrawn from the World Championship of Legends Season 3. Here's what happened.

Updated on: Oct 5, 2026, 17:12:51 IST

By Vishesh Roy

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Pakistan officially withdrew from the World Championship of Legends (WCL) Season 3 on Monday, and the team would no longer participate in the tournament. Earlier, the team's match against Bangladesh was postponed due to “technical reasons”, but it was common knowledge that the management was waiting for the NoC to be issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). According to sources privy to the developments, the PCB issued the NoC but imposed certain conditions, which the organisers eventually declined.

Pakistan Champions have officially withdrawn from the World Championship of Legends Season 3 (X)

Last year, the Indian team refused to play against Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. At first, the group-stage match was cancelled, and the Indian team maintained their stance ahead of the semi-final, leading to Pakistan qualifying for the final on the basis of a walkover, only to lose to South Africa in the summit clash. There were no handshakes between the players from both teams as well.

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According to sources, the PCB wanted the Indian camp to apologise for last year's drama; however, the WCL organising committee declined these demands, leading Pakistan to pull out of the tournament.

“The PCB agreed to issue an NOC to the Pakistan Champions team for the WCL, subject to certain conditions. However, the WCL management did not agree to any of the PCB's demands,” the source confirmed to HT Digital on Monday evening.

“The PCB wanted the ⁠Indian players to give a written apology for not taking the field last year, and moreover, the board also wanted the Indian camp to be okay with the handshake this time around. However, the WCL only accepted the commercial teams and rejected the apology and handshake bit,” the source added.

Earlier, the WCL Season 3 organisers had announced the tournament schedule, with India versus Pakistan listed for October 10. However, the game would no longer go ahead as Pakistan officially withdrew from the competition.

Shahid Afridi connection

The former Pakistan captain was slated to lead the team in the third season of the WCL, but he wasn't even in the UAE for the opening match against Bangladesh, which eventually got postponed due to technical reasons. Pakistan were slated to square off against Australia on Monday, but the game was officially cancelled.

The Pakistan Champions had finished as runners-up in both the previous editions of the WCL; however, the team would no longer have a shot at winning the tournament in 2026.

The official statement of Pakistan Champions did not mention any demands bit, but just said that the team pulled out of the competition after not getting the NoC from the PCB.

“Pakistan Champions regret to confirm that the team will not be able to participate in the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL), following the Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision to uphold its refusal to issue the required NOC," the team said in a statement on Monday.

“We respect PCB’s authority and its decision, while naturally being disappointed that our players will not have the opportunity to represent Pakistan Champions at this global gathering of cricketing legends. We sincerely thank our players, supporters and fans for their patience, understanding and continued support," it added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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