The World Championship of Legends (WCL) tournament found itself at the center of a storm after the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan group-stage match was abruptly cancelled. Now, WCL owner Harshit Tomar has addressed the controversy, explaining why the decision was made and expressing regret over underestimating the emotional weight the fixture carried.
Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube channel, Tomar laid out a detailed timeline and justification for planning the match. “We are going ahead with the tournament in England, which means that everything was taken care of 8-10 months in advance. Our schedule was revealed in December. The Champions Trophy was played in February. Players from both India and Pakistan met there, and government officials from both contingents also met each other,” he said.
Despite careful planning and full backing from local cricket authorities, Tomar admitted the organizers had failed to fully account for public sentiment in the wake of rising geopolitical tensions.
ECB gave green light, but Indian players opted out
According to Tomar, the WCL had taken the appropriate steps by consulting with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) about hosting the match, given the sensitive diplomatic context.
“I cannot express my sadness at what happened in Pahalgam. We supported Operation Sindoor. The war happened, and then it was stopped. Then, the sports between the two countries started to get normal. We weren’t the first ones to hold the match between India and Pakistan. Meanwhile, we approached the England and Wales Cricket Board, informing them about the geopolitical situation between the two countries. After having a long conversation with the ECB and authorities, they said ‘This is good to go,’” he explained.
However, the game was eventually called off after all 15 Indian players reportedly refused to participate, resulting in Pakistan advancing to the final by default.
“The entire Indian team had the stance of not going ahead with the match against Pakistan. All 15 players decided not to play against Pakistan,” Tomar revealed.
“Where were we wrong?”: Tomar questions the criticism
Tomar stood firm in his position that the tournament organizers had acted in good faith, pointing to other scheduled fixtures between India and Pakistan in mainstream cricket later this year.
“The Women’s World Cup is soon going to happen. India will take on Pakistan there. Asia Cup chatter is also there. You tell me, where were we wrong in wanting to go ahead with the match? It was next to impossible for me to change things at the last minute. I just had the option of not going ahead with the tournament this year,” said Tomar.
He emphasized that every necessary clearance was in place, but the reality of an India vs Pakistan clash stirred strong reactions as the match approached.
“We had all the permissions from the ECB. Cricket is an emotion. As the match got close, people realised the reality of India playing against Pakistan. They started to express their emotions. We then had to take a call. We realised the enormity of the situation two days before the match. There was a campaign on social media,” he added.
Social media backlash, personal toll on players and organizers
Tomar also expressed deep frustration over the backlash directed at Indian legends, specifically referencing criticism of Yuvraj Singh.
“I felt really bad. You raised questions about me; I get that. But you raised questions on Yuvraj Singh, who was battling cancer, and still he played the World Cup. We are Indians, we are emotional. We were being bashed on social media, and we didn’t want to do anything wrong. We failed to read the emotions, and it was premature on our part to want to go ahead with the match,” he said.
Fallout continues as PCB announces future boycott
The fallout didn’t end with the cancellation. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has since imposed a blanket ban on its players’ participation in future editions of the WCL, accusing the tournament of being “biased” and questioning its integrity. This development adds further uncertainty to the future of India-Pakistan fixtures in privately organized tournaments.
For Tomar, the emotional backlash—not the logistics—was the real trigger for the cancellation. And while he maintains the organizers followed every rule and protocol, he concedes that the timing of the match may have been misjudged.
