The first semi-final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) between India Champions and Pakistan Champions has been called off. The two teams were scheduled to face each other in the semis after finishing first and fourth on the points table; however, India Champions withdrew amid raging public sentiment with respect to the neighbouring country after the cross-border military conflict, which took place in May, earlier this year. India Champions' opening clash was also called off for a similar reason after several Indian players boycotted the game, following outrage on social media.
Consequently, Pakistan Champions moved ahead to the final to be played on Saturday, August 2 at Edgbaston and will await the winner of the second semi-final between South Africa and Australia Champions.
"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 the audience," WCL said in an official statement.
"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.
Pakistan Champions topped the league stage
Pakistan Champions were the best team under Mohammad Hafeez's captaincy in the league stage. They topped the points table at the end of the league stage, winning four out of five matches and their clash against India was called off. With nine points, they were the table-toppers and had to face the fourth-placed team in the semi-final.
India Champions won only one game in league stage
On the contrary, India Champions won just a single game in five appearances in the league stage and even then, qualified for the knockout stage. They had received one point after boycotting the game against Pakistan earlier and their only win came against the West Indies Champions in the final game of the league stage.
They needed to chase 145 runs in 14.1 overs to reach the knockouts and India Champions did so in just 13.2 overs with Yusuf Pathan smashing the winning six. However, with Pakistan to face in the semi-final, the players stuck to their stance of not playing against the arch-rivals, just like they did in the league stage.
Also Read
