Pakistan Champions' replacement announced for India Champions' WCL match
Pakistan Champions exit reshapes WCL schedule; India to play defending champions
Dubai: Pakistan Champions’ withdrawal from the World Championship of Legends has forced a change to India Champions’ schedule, with the defending champions set to face a new opponent on Saturday.
Pakistan Champions pulled out of the tournament after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) refused to issue the required No-Objection Certificates to their players. The decision ended weeks of uncertainty over their participation in the competition.
Their opening match against Bangladesh Champions had already been postponed due to “technical reasons”, while their scheduled fixture against Australia Champions was also affected by the uncertainty.
Nevertheless, India Champions will now face South Africa Champions on Saturday, October 10, in Sharjah. The match was originally scheduled for October 6, but the fixture has been moved to the revised schedule following Pakistan’s withdrawal.
The change means India will not play Pakistan in the much-anticipated clash that was originally scheduled for October 10. Moreover, few matches in WCL were expected to take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium including the India vs Pakistan match.
But as per the revised schedule, all matches will now be played only at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
The India-South Africa fixture will also be the only match on Saturday, unlike most other matchdays that feature two games. It will begin at 7.30pm UAE time at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
South Africa Champions enter the contest as the defending WCL champions, having beaten Pakistan Champions in last year’s final. They have played and won one game in the ongoing tournament against West Indies.
India Champions, who won the inaugural edition in 2024, opened their season 3 campaign with a win against Australia Champions before losing against England Champions. South Africa will face the Aussies on October 9 before taking on India on Saturday.
The revised WCL schedule will now continue with six teams following Pakistan’s withdrawal.
