Pakistan's World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2024 campaign ended in disappointment as they suffered a five-wicket defeat against Yuvraj Singh's India Champions. Known for his outspoken nature, former Pakistani fast bowler Tanvir Ahmed criticised the Pakistan Champions team following their loss to India Champions in the final at Edgbaston, Birmingham, July 13. Despite entering the final as favorites after defeating India in the league stage, Pakistan ultimately finished second. They compiled a strong record of 4 wins and 1 loss, while India narrowly secured a semi-final berth with just 2 wins from 5 matches. India edged out South Africa for the fourth spot on net run rate.
Tanvir Ahmed cracks whip at Pakistan Champions after WCL final loss against India
Tanvir Ahmed points out Pakistan Champions' loss despite a strong team. This emphasizes the outcome and team strength without stating frustration.
"Legend league main sab say ziyada fit player's pakistan kay or sab say ziyada current player's pakistan kay lekin phir bhi har gaye india say kab tak bezate karwatey raho gay," Tanvir wrote in his X handle.
India Champions emerged victorious in the WCL 2024 final, defeating Pakistan Champions. While Pakistan boasted an in-form batting line-up featuring players like Kamran Akmal, Sharjeel Khan, and Shoaib Maqsood, they were unable to translate their prior success into the final. Pakistan's batting struggled against a disciplined Indian bowling attack. Only Shoaib Malik (41 runs off 36 balls) managed a significant score. Sohail Tanvir (19 runs off 9 balls) provided a late surge, but it wasn't enough. Indian bowlers stuck to their plans and kept the Pakistani batsmen in check, restricting them to a modest total.
The slow wicket at Edgbaston played a significant role in the final. India's bowlers capitalized on the sluggish surface, with Anureet Singh leading the charge. He picked up crucial wickets, including the dangerous Sharjeel Khan and in-form Shoaib Malik, for figures of 3-43. Irfan Pathan chipped in by dismissing Pakistan's captain Younis Khan, while Pawan Negi delivered a tight spell, conceding only 24 runs in his 4 overs and taking a wicket.
Chasing a relatively low target of 157, India started aggressively. However, their in-form opener Robin Uthappa was dismissed while trying to accelerate the scoring rate. Picking up the slack, Ambati Rayudu played a blistering knock, reaching a 50 off just 30 balls and keeping India on track. Unfortunately, his impressive innings was cut short by a dismissal from the wily Saeed Ajmal soon after reaching his milestone. Despite these setbacks, India's experienced duo of Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan ensured they wouldn't falter. Yusuf contributed a valuable 30 runs off a mere 16 balls, while his brother Irfan Pathan displayed nerves of steel. In a nail-biting finish, Irfan smashed a boundary off Sohail Tanvir in the final over to seal the victory for India. Though Aamer Yamin took two wickets for Pakistan, the Indian batting lineup, spearheaded by Rayudu and supported by the Pathans, proved too strong on the day. Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, and Shoaib Malik managed to grab a wicket each, but it wasn't enough to prevent India from claiming the WCL 2024 title.
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