Tag: WCL 2025

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan Champions head coach Arshad Khan has expressed confidence in his squad ahead of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025.

Pakistan Champions, who finished runners-up in the inaugural edition, will begin their 2025 campaign against England Champions in the tournament opener on Friday.

Speaking to a local media channel, Arshad Khan pointed out the blend of youth and experience in the squad.

“We have several fresh legs this year, players like Asif Ali, Hafeez, Umar Amin, and Rumman Raees, alongside experienced campaigners such as Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Sohaib Maqsood, and Amir Yamin,” he said.

The coach noted that most of the squad members have remained active in club or domestic cricket.

“Most of these players have recently been active in club cricket, and some have even featured in domestic cricket,” he added.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“Even our senior players are fully fit and in good shape. We also have some practice time before the first game, which will help us overcome any notable shortcomings.”

Team owner Kamil Khan also sounded optimistic about the upcoming campaign, saying the squad aims to take one step further this time after reaching the final in the inaugural edition.

“We’ve come with a renewed sense of purpose and passion to win. It’s a strong lineup, but so are the other teams. This season promises to be tougher and more competitive,” he stated.

Kamil emphasized the importance of squad depth, especially in English conditions, and said the tournament offers a great opportunity to players who may still have something to offer at the international level.

“It’s a balanced side with multiple all-rounders. We have seasoned players like Imad Wasim, Asif Ali, Umar Amin, Hafeez as captain, and stars like Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik. Amir Yamin, for example, has proven his worth and continues to be someone who deserves more recognition,” he added.

READ: Shahid Afridi ‘hopeful’ Pakistan Champions can win WCL 2025

BIRMINGHAM: Star all-rounder Shahid Afridi is confident that Pakistan Champions are well-equipped to go all the way in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, with the second edition of the tournament set to begin on July 18 at Edgbaston.

Pakistan Champions, who finished runners-up in the inaugural edition, will begin their 2025 campaign against England Champions in the tournament opener on Friday.

This time, Mohammad Hafeez takes over the reins from Younis Khan, who led the side to the final last year.

Speaking to a local channel during a training session at Edgbaston, Shahid Afridi praised the squad’s depth and balance and expressed optimism about their chances this season.

“We have a wonderful squad again, a very strong combination. We had a good first season, but this year we are hopeful of winning the tournament,” Afridi said.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

He also lauded the presence of relatively younger players and the idea of rotating leadership roles among former greats.

“This time, there’s more young blood, and a new captain is at the helm. Younis Khan did a great job last year, and now Hafeez will be leading the side,” he added.

The marquee Pakistan vs India clash is slated for July 20, also at Edgbaston. Shahid Afridi acknowledged that the high-stakes rivalry remains the tournament’s biggest attraction.

“Every match is important, but Pakistan vs India always carries that special energy. I’m hopeful more fans will flock to the stadiums to watch us in action,” he said.

Pakistan Champions squad for WCL 2025

Mohammad Hafeez (c), Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Amin, Sharjeel Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed (WK), Shahid Afridi, Asif Ali, Aamer Yamin, Wahab Riaz, Rumman Raees, Sohail Tanvir, Sohail Khan.

READ: PCB unveils Women’s Cricket Calendar for 2025-26 season

BIRMINGHAM: The Pakistan Champions team hit the ground running with a first training session here on Thursday ahead of their opening game in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025.

Pakistan Champions sharpened their bowling, batting, and fielding skills ahead of their opening match against England Champions, set to be played tomorrow at the iconic Edgbaston Cricket Ground. The game will begin at 8:00 pm PKT.

Former captain Mohammad Hafeez will lead the side in his WCL debut season, taking over from Younis Khan, who is not part of the squad this time around. Another senior name missing from the lineup is Misbah-ul-Haq.

Among the fresh faces, wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed, all-rounder Imad Wasim, and left-arm pacer Rumman Raees join Umar Amin as key additions.

Meanwhile, the core of the team, including Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, and Wahab Riaz, remains intact.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Following the opening match, the Pakistan Champions will face their arch-rivals and defending Champions, India, in their second match.

They will face South Africa on 25 July before taking on the West Indies on 26 July. The runners-up of the last tournament will play their final fixture against Australia on 29 July.

For the unversed, the WCL 2025 will be contested across four English venues: Edgbaston (Birmingham), County Ground (Northampton), Grace Road (Leicester), and Headingley (Leeds).

Six teams, India, Pakistan, Australia, England, South Africa, and the West Indies, will face off in a round-robin format, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals.

The upcoming edition marks the second installment of the WCL, following the inaugural tournament held in 2024, where the Indian team, led by the legendary Yuvraj Singh, emerged as champions.

During the inaugural season, Younis Khan-led Pakistan were among the standout teams, producing dominant performances throughout the group stage.

Despite a spirited effort, Pakistan Champions fell just short in the final against arch-rivals India. After setting a target of 157, they couldn’t prevent India from chasing it down with five wickets and five balls to spare.

Pakistan Champions squad for WCL 2025

Mohammad Hafeez (c), Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Amin, Sharjeel Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed (WK), Shahid Afridi, Asif Ali, Aamer Yamin, Wahab Riaz, Rumman Raees, Sohail Tanvir, Sohail Khan.

READ: WATCH: Pakistan Champions squad arrives in England for WCL 2025

BIRMINGHAM: The Pakistan Champions Squad touched down here on Thursday to feature in the much-anticipated second edition of the World Championship of the Legends (WCL) 2025.

The runners-up of the last edition will begin their campaign tomorrow against the England Champions at the iconic Edgbaston Stadium in the season opener.

The team’s arrival at Birmingham Airport was captured in a video posted on the franchise’s social media handles, featuring Champions captain Mohammad Hafeez, all-rounder Shoaib Malik, pacer Rumman Raees, and top-order batter Sharjeel Khan.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Pakistan Champions 🇵🇰 (@wclpakistanchampions)

Former spinner Saeed Ajmal, head coach Arshad Khan, and Pakistan Champions franchise owners Kamil Khan were with the squad participating in the six-team tournament.

For the unversed, the WCL 2025 will be contested across four English venues: Edgbaston (Birmingham), County Ground (Northampton), Grace Road (Leicester), and Headingley (Leeds).

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Six teams —India, Pakistan, Australia, England, South Africa, and the West Indies —will face off in a round-robin format, with the top four teams qualifying for the semifinals.

The upcoming edition marks the second installment of the WCL, following the inaugural tournament held in 2024, where the Indian team, led by the legendary Yuvraj Singh, emerged as champions.

During the inaugural season, Younis Khan-led Pakistan were among the standout teams, producing dominant performances throughout the group stage.

Despite a spirited effort, Pakistan Champions fell just short in the final against arch-rivals India. After setting a target of 157, they couldn’t prevent India from chasing it down with five wickets and five balls to spare.

Pakistan Champions squad for WCL 2025

Mohammad Hafeez (c), Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Amin, Sharjeel Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed (WK), Shahid Afridi, Asif Ali, Aamer Yamin, Wahab Riaz, Rumman Raees, Sohail Tanvir, Sohail Khan.

READ: Top-order batter included in Pakistan Champions’ WCL 2025 squad

Left-handed batter Umar Amin has joined the star-studded Pakistan Champions’ squad for the upcoming 2025 edition of the World Championship of Legends (WCL), which kicks off on July 18 in England.

The Pakistan Champions will begin their campaign against the England Champions at the iconic Edgbaston Stadium in the season opener.

The franchise has unveiled the squad for the second edition, with some notable inclusions and a few surprising omissions.

Former captain Mohammad Hafeez will lead the side in his WCL debut season, taking over from Younis Khan, who is not part of the squad this time around. Another senior name missing from the lineup is Misbah-ul-Haq.

Among the fresh faces, wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed, all-rounder Imad Wasim, and left-arm pacer Rumman Raees join Umar Amin as key additions.

Meanwhile, the core of the team, including Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, and Wahab Riaz, remains intact.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

For the unversed, the WCL 2025 will be contested across four English venues: Edgbaston (Birmingham), County Ground (Northampton), Grace Road (Leicester), and Headingley (Leeds).

Six teams, India, Pakistan, Australia, England, South Africa, and the West Indies, will face off in a round-robin format, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals.

The upcoming edition marks the second installment of the WCL, following the inaugural tournament held in 2024, where the Indian team, led by the legendary Yuvraj Singh, emerged as champions.

During the inaugural season, Younis Khan-led Pakistan were among the standout teams, producing dominant performances throughout the group stage.

Despite a spirited effort, Pakistan Champions fell just short in the final against arch-rivals India. After setting a target of 157, they couldn’t prevent India from chasing it down with five wickets and five balls to spare.

Pakistan Champions squad for WCL 2025

Mohammad Hafeez (c), Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Amin, Sharjeel Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed (WK), Shahid Afridi, Asif Ali, Aamer Yamin, Wahab Riaz, Rumman Raees, Sohail Tanvir, Sohail Khan.

READ: Ricky Ponting backs THIS batter to open alongside Usman Khawaja in Ashes

Wicket-keeper batter and 2017 Champions Trophy-winning captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has joined Pakistan Champions for the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, scheduled to take place from July 18 to August 2, 2025.

The announcement of the veteran player was made via social media handles.

“He is back behind the stumps… and probably shouting “only one, only one!” already. Everyone’s favourite Sarfaraz Ahmed returns — and so does the energy we all love,” the franchise wrote in the caption with an animated picture.

Sarfaraz Ahmed led Pakistan to a memorable victory over arch-rivals India in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. The right-hander has represented Pakistan in 61 T20Is.

Under Sarfaraz’s captaincy, Pakistan clinched 11 consecutive T20I series wins, defeating West Indies, Australia, New Zealand, England, and Zimbabwe.

For the unversed, the WCL 2025 will be contested across four English venues: Edgbaston (Birmingham), County Ground (Northampton), Grace Road (Leicester), and Headingley (Leeds).

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Six teams, India, Pakistan, Australia, England, South Africa, and the West Indies, will face off in a round-robin format, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals.

The upcoming edition marks the second installment of the WCL, following the inaugural tournament held in 2024, where the Indian team, led by the legendary Yuvraj Singh, emerged as champions.

During the inaugural season, Younis Khan-led Pakistan were among the standout teams, producing dominant performances throughout the group stage.

They opened their campaign with a clinical win over Australia before thrashing the West Indies.

One of the tournament’s most iconic moments came in their clash against India, where Pakistan racked up a mammoth 243/4 and then restricted their arch-rivals to 175/9.

Their only group-stage defeat came against South Africa, but the Men in Green bounced back strong, sealing a semi-final win against the West Indies by 20 runs to set up a high-stakes final against India.

Despite a spirited effort, Pakistan Champions fell just short in the final. After setting a target of 157, they couldn’t prevent India from chasing it down with five wickets and five balls to spare.

READ: Pakistan crush Bangladesh to continue unbeaten run in U-18 Hockey Asia Cup

Pakistan Champions have announced the experienced pace attack for the World Championship of Legends (WCL), scheduled to take place from July 18 to August 2, 2025.

The league will be held in England, with the franchise announcing the inclusion of experienced pacers Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Rumman Raees, and Sohail Khan.

The franchise announced the arrival of the Pacers via social media handles.

“Raw pace, Relentless aggression, left-arm angle, right-arm fire they’re coming in hot. This trio isn’t here to bowl… they’re here to dominate,” the post read.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Pakistan Champions 🇵🇰 (@wclpakistanchampions)

The quartet has extensive experience, having played 1,004 T20 matches overall and taken a total of 1,115 wickets.

Apart from pacers, explosive left-handed batter Sharjeel Khan is also retained for the second edition of WCL.

Sharjeel Khan was pivotal in Pakistan Champions’ success in the last edition. He was the second-highest run-getter in the tournament, amassing 221 runs in seven matches at a healthy average of 31.57 with an impressive strike rate of 193.85.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“You blink, and you miss a SIX,” the franchise captioned the post. “Sharjeel Khan is back to set the tone from ball one in #WCLSeason2. How many sixes do you see him hitting in Season 2?” Pakistan Champions announced the southpaw’s arrival in a social media post.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Pakistan Champions 🇵🇰 (@wclpakistanchampions)

For the unversed, the WCL 2025 will be contested across four English venues: Edgbaston (Birmingham), County Ground (Northampton), Grace Road (Leicester), and Headingley (Leeds).

Six teams, India, Pakistan, Australia, England, South Africa, and the West Indies, will face off in a round-robin format, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals.

The upcoming edition marks the second installment of the WCL, following the inaugural tournament held in 2024, where the Indian team, led by the legendary Yuvraj Singh, emerged as champions.

During the inaugural season, Younis Khan-led Pakistan were among the standout teams, producing dominant performances throughout the group stage.

Despite a spirited effort, Pakistan Champions fell just short in the final against arch-rivals India. After setting a target of 157, they couldn’t prevent India from chasing it down with five wickets and five balls to spare.

READ: ICC unveils nominees for Men’s player of the month award for June

Former all-rounder Imad Wasim has been added to the Pakistan Champions squad for the second edition of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, set to be played from July 18 to August 2, 2025.

The announcement of Imad Wasim’s inclusion was made via social media handles.

“A power-packed addition to the squad. We proudly welcome Imad Wasim to Pakistan Champions, an all-rounder with grit, game, and presence,” the franchise wrote.

Imad Wasim, who announced his retirement from international cricket in 2024, is a regular in the T20 circuit around the globe. The left-hander has played 394 T20Is, along with featuring in 75 matches for Pakistan in the shortest format.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Pakistan Champions 🇵🇰 (@wclpakistanchampions)

Currently, Imad Wasim is representing Somerset in the T20 blast in England. The tournament will be on hold starting July 18 after the conclusion of the league stage.

The Pakistan Champions’ squad will also feature Sarfaraz Ahmed, the captain who led the team to victory in the Champions Trophy 2017.

For the unversed, the WCL 2025 will be contested across four English venues: Edgbaston (Birmingham), County Ground (Northampton), Grace Road (Leicester), and Headingley (Leeds).

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Six teams, India, Pakistan, Australia, England, South Africa, and the West Indies, will face off in a round-robin format, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals.

The upcoming edition marks the second installment of the WCL, following the inaugural tournament held in 2024, where the Indian team, led by the legendary Yuvraj Singh, emerged as champions.

During the inaugural season, Younis Khan-led Pakistan were among the standout teams, producing dominant performances throughout the group stage.

They opened their campaign with a clinical win over Australia before thrashing the West Indies.

One of the tournament’s most iconic moments came in their clash against India, where Pakistan racked up a mammoth 243/4 and then restricted their arch-rivals to 175/9.

Their only group-stage defeat came against South Africa, but the Men in Green bounced back strong, sealing a semi-final win against the West Indies by 20 runs to set up a high-stakes final against India.

Despite a spirited effort, Pakistan Champions fell just short in the final. After setting a target of 157, they couldn’t prevent India from chasing it down with five wickets and five balls to spare.

READ: Suryavanshi eyes rare double in Youth ODIs after shattering Kamran Ghulam’s record

Former captain and star all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez is set to lead the Pakistan Champions squad in the upcoming World Championship of Legends (WCL) season 2, set to be played from July 18 to August 2, 2025.

Pakistan Champions announced the decision through a post on their social media accounts.

“The Professor takes the charge,” read the post. “We’re proud to announce Mohammad Hafeez as the Captain of Pakistan Champions for Season 2.”

The Pakistan Champions’ squad will also feature Sarfaraz Ahmed, the captain who led the team to victory in the Champions Trophy 2017.

For the unversed, the WCL 2025 will be contested across four English venues: Edgbaston (Birmingham), County Ground (Northampton), Grace Road (Leicester), and Headingley (Leeds).

Six teams, India, Pakistan, Australia, England, South Africa, and the West Indies, will face off in a round-robin format, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals.

The upcoming edition marks the second instalment of the WCL, following the inaugural tournament held in 2024, where the Indian team, led by the legendary Yuvraj Singh, emerged as champions.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

During the inaugural season, Younis Khan-led Pakistan were among the standout teams, producing dominant performances throughout the group stage.

They opened their campaign with a clinical win over Australia before thrashing the West Indies.

One of the tournament’s most iconic moments came in their clash against India, where Pakistan racked up a mammoth 243/4 and then restricted their arch-rivals to 175/9.

Their only group-stage defeat came against South Africa, but the Men in Green bounced back strong, sealing a semi-final win against the West Indies by 20 runs to set up a high-stakes final against India.

Despite a spirited effort, Pakistan Champions fell just short in the final. After setting a target of 157, they couldn’t prevent India from chasing it down with five wickets and five balls to spare.

READ: Australia Champions name star-studded squad for WCL 2025

Pakistan Champions have officially lifted the curtain on their new jersey ahead of the second season of the World Championship of Legends (WCL), scheduled to run from July 18 to August 2, 2025, in Birmingham.

The franchise took to social media on Thursday, unveiling the kit with a powerful visual that captures both legacy and energy.

The jersey features Pakistan’s iconic green base, complemented by vibrant yellow accents along the sides and sleeves.

“Proud to unveil the official jersey of the 𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 for the World Championship of Legends 2025! Led by legends, built with passion,” the team captioned the reveal, signaling intent for the season ahead.

During the inaugural season, Younis Khan-led Pakistan Champions were among the standout teams, producing dominant performances throughout the group stage.

They opened their campaign with a clinical win over Australia before thrashing the West Indies.

One of the tournament’s most iconic moments came in their clash against India, where Pakistan racked up a mammoth 243/4 and then restricted their arch-rivals to 175/9.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Their only group-stage defeat came against South Africa, but the Men in Green bounced back strong, sealing a semi-final win against the West Indies by 20 runs to set up a high-stakes final against India.

Despite a spirited effort, Pakistan Champions fell just short in the final. After setting a target of 157, they couldn’t prevent India from chasing it down with five wickets and five balls to spare.

The second edition of the WCL will kick off on July 18 2025, featuring cricketing legends from Pakistan, India, Australia, England, South Africa, and the West Indies. The final is scheduled for August 2.

READ: Pakistan Champions reveal new logo ahead of WCL 2025