Lahore Qalandars’ participation in World Club T20 Championship yet to be confirmed

LAHORE: Speculations about the participation of Pakistan Super League (PSL) champions Lahore Qalandars in the proposed World Club T20 Championship have been dismissed as baseless by sources close to the matter. It was revealed to Hum News that no concrete decisions have been made regarding the organization of such an event. Reports claiming Lahore Qalandars’ exclusion from the tournament were termed “false and misleading.”

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has not yet taken any official stance on the World Club T20 Championship, and no discussions were held during recent meetings in England regarding the event.

Indian media reports were rife with rumours that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was invited to a meeting held last month in London during the Cricket Connects event, where the PSL CEO was expected to attend, but no representative participated. The Indian media claimed the meeting was convened by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) with ICC support. Attendees included CEOs from the Emirates League, The Hundred, SA20, MLC, BBL, and CPL, among others. Discussions reportedly covered the event’s schedule and format. Notably, teams from the Indian IPL will not participate in the inaugural edition, while the involvement of the PSL champion team remains uncertain.

It was further clarified that since the tournament itself has not been finalised, talks of Pakistan’s exclusion are premature. No discussions on the matter took place in any cricket board meetings, including those of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Qalandars are the new PSL 10 champions

The ICC will ultimately decide the fate of the proposed championship, but as of now, the concept remains in early stages without any formal commitments.