Pakistan advance to WCL 2025 final after India’s withdrawal from semi-final

KARACHI: The Pakistani veterans team advanced into the World Championship of Legends (WCL) final on Wednesday after Indian players forfeited the semi-final scheduled for Thursday.

The WCL is an international cricket league where retired, non-contracted international players return to competitive T20 cricket, according to the league’s website. The tournament commenced on July 18 and is being held in Birmingham, England.

Earlier in the month, a group match between the two teams was also cancelled after Indian players, including Shikhar Dhawan, refused to play against Pakistan.

In a statement posted on X today, WCL organisers announced: “Taking all factors into consideration, the match between the India Champions and the Pakistan Champions has been called off. As a result, Pakistan Champions will advance to the final.”

The WCL said it respected the India Champions’ decision to withdraw from the semi-finals and “we equally respect the Pakistan Champions’ readiness to compete”.

The league organisers added they 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 owner of Pakistan Champions, Kamil Khan, said: “We have been given a walkover by the WCL management as their stance was that whoever does not play the semi-final, the opposition will be given a walkover.”

The Edgbaston Stadium management said that spectators would receive a 50 percent refund and that the second semi-final scheduled for later in the day would go ahead as planned.