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The high-voltage World Championship of Legends clash between Pakistan and India was cancelled under dramatic circumstances on Sunday, and former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has pointed fingers – albeit indirectly – at one individual whom he labelled a “rotten egg”.
“We came here to play cricket, not politics. But one rotten egg destroyed the match,” Afridi told during a media interaction.
“Players should act as ambassadors of their countries, not as embarrassments,” he added.
Although Afridi refrained from naming the player, sources indicate he was referring to former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who, along with five other Indian players – Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan – reportedly refused to play due to Afridi’s presence in the Pakistan team.
The tension stems from the aftermath of the April 22 terror attacks in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 people. India blamed Pakistan-based militants, prompting missile and drone strikes across the border.
Pakistan responded with counterattacks. The escalation, which temporarily subsided through international intervention – notably by US President Donald Trump – appears to have spilled into the sporting arena.
Afridi, who was active on social media during the hostilities, had been a vocal critic of India’s actions. This reportedly irked several Indian players, especially Harbhajan, leading to their collective decision to pull out just before the match.
“They were here and even trained a day earlier,” Afridi revealed.
“If they had any objection to me, they could have just said it – I wouldn’t have even gone to the stadium. I had a shoulder injury and was not going to play anyway,” he added.
Afridi further claimed that some Indian players were willing to honour the commitment but were overruled.
“Just because of one player who refused to budge, the others backed out. I had already conveyed that I was not playing, so there was no reason for this last-minute drama,” Afridi further added.
The abandoned match disappointed a crowd of over 17,000 fans in Birmingham, who were looking forward to a rare India-Pakistan encounter in the legends format.
“This was meant to be a game for fun – a spectacle. But if you keep mixing politics with sport, cricket will always suffer,” Afridi further said.
“In places like the UK, USA and Canada, Indians and Pakistanis live side by side and want these matches. It’s time to stop using cricket as a political pawn,” he remarked.
Afridi pointed out that the two nations recently competed in volleyball and hockey without incident.
“There seems to be a problem only when it’s cricket. Why? That’s a question India must answer,” Afridi questioned.
Pakistan team owner Kamil Khan said discussions with tournament organisers are ongoing.
“We want the two points since we didn’t forfeit the match,” he said.
“If Pakistan and India meet in the semi-finals, the match will likely be avoided. But if it’s the final – well, that’s something we need to decide soon,” he added.
Afridi ended with a call for renewed sporting diplomacy: “Sports has always helped build bridges. If both countries want to move forward, they must talk – not talking will only deepen the divide.”
