Pakistan Champions are in the final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, but not in the way any cricket fan would have wanted. Their arch-rivals, India Champions, forfeited the much-anticipated semi-final clash, handing Pakistan a walkover and sparking a flurry of reactions from both fans and officials.

Let’s unpack this bizarre turn of events; because, quite frankly, it smells more of misplaced pride than patriotism.

A Walkover Earned or Gifted?

Kamil Khan, owner of Pakistan Champions, was clear in his stance, if the team is going to the final without playing, it’s still a result of the hard work they’ve put in throughout the tournament. And in all fairness, he’s got a point. This team has looked solid, confident, and deserving.

“If we are advancing to the final via a walkover, it’s the result of the team’s collective hard work. Given the way the team has performed, we fully deserve to be in the final,” he said during an interview with a private channel.

What Really Happened?

The WCL released a carefully worded statement saying they respect India Champions’ decision to withdraw due to “public sentiment” and that they remain committed to the power of sport to inspire.

Sounds noble, right? But this wasn’t the first boycott. Two weeks ago, India Champions had also refused to play Pakistan in the group stage. Both teams were handed a point each, and the world moved on.

Now, in the semi-final, they’ve doubled down on their stance. But what has really left fans confused (and slightly amused) is the timing of it all.

The Asia Cup Contradiction

Between India Champions’ two walkouts in the WCL, the Asia Cup 2025 got the green light. Yes, the official tournament. Yes, the real national teams.

And guess what? Pakistan and India are in the same group, along with Oman and UAE. There’s every chance they’ll meet in the Super Four, and perhaps even in the final. That’s up to three Pakistan-India clashes in one tournament. Why? Because money talks.

So let’s get this straight. When it comes to official ICC tournaments, with big broadcasting rights and serious cash involved, there’s no talk of boycotts. No nationalist rants. No chest-thumping.

But when it’s an unofficial legends league, suddenly everyone is a patriot? Suddenly, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Shikhar Dhawan want to take a moral high ground and refuse to play?

This isn’t patriotism. It’s performative at best, hypocritical at worst.

What’s the Message?

If anything, this entire drama has only made these former players look confused and inconsistent. Are we to believe that India-Pakistan cricket is okay when money is involved, but not when it’s a retired players’ tournament?

Kamil Khan’s comments reflect a growing sentiment among fans that if Pakistan Champions reached the final, it’s because they were ready to compete. They didn’t hide behind politics. They didn’t play games outside the boundary ropes. They showed up.

This isn’t about who won or lost. This is about what kind of message gets sent when sports, especially one as emotionally charged as India-Pakistan cricket, gets hijacked by half-hearted political statements.

If the official Indian team is playing Pakistan in the Asia Cup, then legends need to put the same cricketing spirit above empty gestures. Because if you’re going to talk about honour and pride, do it when the stakes are highest, not in a tournament that doesn’t even count on the ICC calendar.

Until then, this boycott looks less like bravery and more like buffoonery.

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