INDIA-PAKISTAN CONTROVERSY
Shikhar Dhawan, part of the India team in the WCL, has made his stance clear about not playing against Pakistan © Getty
The semifinal between India and Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends, scheduled for Thursday (July 31) in Birmingham, was cancelled following refusal of the Indian team to play against the arch-rivals from across the border. According to sources in promoters group, the match was awarded to the Pakistan side, who will play in the final.
The Indian players had also refused to play against Pakistan in the league stage, in particular taking objection to the presence of Shahid Afridi in their side, and they are believed to have taken the same stance for the semifinal.
The development comes amid a strong wave of anti-Pakistan sentiment in the country. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has faced intense criticism for agreeing to host the Asia Cup, a tournament where India and Pakistan could potentially face off as many as three times. In May, India carried out a targeted, non-escalatory military operation – Operation Sindoor – in response to a gruesome terror attack in Pahalgam the previous month.
Earlier on Wednesday, a tournament sponsor announced its disassociation with the match. “Despite entering into a 5-year sponsorship agreement with the World Championship of Legends (WCL) two years ago, our stance has always been clear – 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,” Ease My Trip said.
Players like Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Stuart Binny, Shikhar Dhawan, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan and Piyush Chawla among others are members of the India Champions side. A few days back, Dhawan, in an X post, had also reiterated his stance taken in May that he will not play in any matches against Pakistan.
On Tuesday, the Indian Champions beat the West Indies to reach the semifinal. South Africa and Australia are the other semifinalists who are also scheduled to face off on Thursday.
© Cricbuzz
