Indian cricket veterans withdraw from playing against Pakistan at World Championship of Legends, match called off: Details
On Saturday (20th July), the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan cricket match of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) has been called off amid widespread outrage over the match.
According to reports, the decision follows the withdrawal of multiple Indian cricketers, including Harbhajan Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, and the Pathan brothers (Yusuf and Irfan). There was massive outrage among the Indian public over the scheduling of the match in the aftermath of the Pakistan-sponsored Pahalgam terrorist attack.
WCL sponsor Easemytrip made a post on X saying, ” EaseMyTrip will not be associated with or participate in any WCL match involving Pakistan. We proudly continue to support the India Champions and stand firmly by our team. However, as a matter of principle, we do not support or promote any match that includes Pakistan. This position was communicated unambiguously to the WCL team from the beginning. EaseMyTrip supports Team India, but will not engage in any match featuring Pakistan”.
What is World Championship of Legends
The WCL is a cricket tournament that features famous retired international stars from various cricketing nations. It is sanctioned by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The 2025 edition runs from 18th July to 2nd August across the four venues in the UK. The participating teams are from India, Pakistan, England, the West Indies, South Africa, and Australia. India is the defending champion, defeating Pakistan in the 2024 final.
Background: The Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor
On 22nd April 2025, in a cowardly act, several Pakistani terrorists invaded the Baisaran valley of Pahalgam. They brutally killed 26 Hindus based on their religion. The attack was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba.
On 7th May, in response, India launched Operation Sindoor, a fully-fledged cross-border anti terrorist operation, targeting and destroying multiple terror camps in Pakistan via missile strikes.
Why was the match cancelled
The match was cancelled after key Indian players refused to play against Pakistan. Shikhar Dhawan publicly shared an email dated 11th May, 2025, affirming his stance: “My country is everything; nothing is above the nation”
Apart from that, the tournament sponsor EaseMyTrip also declared it would boycott all matches involving Pakistan, emphasising its “Bharat First” policy.
In a viral social media post, Pakistani Captain Shahid Afridi made a derogatory remark on the Pahalgam terror attack. He told the local reporters in Pakistan, “The terrorists continued to kill people in Pahalgam for an hour, and not a single Indian soldier out of 8 lakh showed up. But when they did, they blamed Pakistan, India carries out terrorism itself, kills its own people, and then puts the blame on Pakistan”.
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