'Few Indian players wanted to play against Pakistan,' claims WCL owner

KARACHI: World Championship of Legends (WCL) owner Harshit Tomar has revealed that some of the Indian Champions players were eager to play and win against arch-rivals Pakistan Champions in the ongoing second edition of the league.

The ongoing season of the global tournament, featuring legendary players from six top cricketing nations, has been the centre of attention due to the Indian Champions’ decision to withdraw from their matches against Pakistan Champions.

The defending champions were supposed to take on arch-rivals on July 20, but the blockbuster fixture was opposed by several players, especially Shikhar Dhawan, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan and Yuvraj Singh.

Just hours after their reported refusal, the high-octane clash was officially called off by the tournament organisers, resulting in both teams sharing a point each.

Later, after the conclusion of the league stage, last season’s runners-up, Pakistan Champions, finished at the top of the standings, while India Champions managed to secure fourth position, meaning the fierce rivals were set for another showdown in the first semi-final.

However, just hours before the commencement, the knockout fixture was also called off due to India Champions’ refusal to play against Pakistan Champions, citing public sentiments.

As a result, the Pakistan Champions advanced to the final, where they will take on the winner of the subsequent semi-final, scheduled to be played between South Africa and Australia later today.

Meanwhile, as per the latest development, WCL owner Tomar, in an interview with an Indian journalist, recorded before the abandonment of the semi-final, has revealed that a handful of India Champions players were committed to beating Pakistan Champions in the now-abandoned league-stage fixture.

“I won’t take names, but some players said, ‘Man… we wanted to beat them. We wanted to give them a strong reply’. A few wanted to dedicate the victory to the nation,” said Tomar.

“Again, a sportsperson’s way of expressing his patriotism is by winning in the field.

“Some were against [the match] as well because of the masses, who are right. Their emotions are always right, and we have to respect that.”

Harshit Tomar further reiterated that it was a collective decision of the India Champions to withdraw from the match against Pakistan Champions, but admitted it could have been communicated in a better way, especially by the team instead of a certain player.

“It was a collective decision and not of any individual, but yes, it could have been communicated in a better way,” Tomar noted.