Pakistan Champions ruled out of World Championship of Legends

Pakistan Champions have been left out of the World Championship of Legends after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) declined to issue No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to players selected for the tournament.

KARACHI: Pakistan Champions have been left out of the World Championship of Legends after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) declined to issue No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to players selected for the tournament.

The decision resulted in the postponement of Pakistan Champions’ scheduled game against Bangladesh in Sharjah. The tournament got underway in the United Arab Emirates on Friday but the Pakistan side was unable to take part as the required clearances were not granted.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed did not travel to the UAE while a number of other squad members had already arrived.

According to sources, the team’s owners attempted to find a way around the issue by proposing a change to the team’s name. The proposal, however, was not accepted.

The NOC issue is also linked to concerns surrounding a potential Pakistan-India fixture. Last year India twice declined to play against Pakistan Champions with former India opener Shikhar Dhawan reportedly playing a key role in the decision.

Under the tournament’s current schedule Pakistan Champions and the Indian team were due to meet in Dubai on October 10. The Indian squad includes former internationals such as Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan and Harbhajan Singh.

Sources said officials were concerned that granting NOCs to Pakistani former internationals could lead to another withdrawal by the Indian team if the two sides were scheduled to meet potentially creating another dispute around the tournament.

The PCB therefore decided against granting the required permissions. Sources also said attempts by some influential individuals to convince the board to reconsider the decision did not succeed.

Despite the setback Pakistan Champions owner Kamil Khan has not ruled out the possibility of the PCB changing its position.

Khan said the team was unable to play its Bangladesh fixture but remained hopeful that the board would review the matter. He added that the players had submitted their NOC requests through the required procedure and were still waiting for a favourable outcome.

The team owner also acknowledged the PCB’s authority saying the franchise would respect whatever decision the country’s cricket board ultimately makes.

The development follows earlier reports that Pakistan Champions were unlikely to obtain the necessary NOCs for their participation in the tournament.