Picture Credit: X/@WCL
The legends are once again back on the cricketing field as they are playing in the second edition of the World Championship of Legends (WCL), underway in England. The tournament, which commenced on Friday, July 18, was handed a massive setback on Saturday, July 19 after the upcoming fixture between India Champions and Pakistan Champions was called off.
The match which was set to be played at the Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday, July 20, saw the organisers call off the match after several Indian players, including the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Irfan and Yusuf Pathan, along with a few others decided to not play. Eventually, seeing players withdraw from the match, the organisers confirmed to call-off the match.
India vs Pakistan WCL 2025 match called off after players withdrawal
Taking to their official X account, the WCL shared a note which read, “We at WCL have always cherished and loved cricket, and our only aim has been to give fans some good, happy moments. After hearing the news that the Pakistan hockey team will be coming to India this year, and seeing the recent India vs Pakistan volleyball match along with a few other fixtures between the two nations in different sports, we though of continuing with the India vs Pakistan match at WCL - just to create some happy memories for people around the globe. But maybe in the process, we ended up hurting the feelings of many and stirring emotions.”
It continued, “More than that, we unintentionally caused discomfort to our Indian Cricket Legends, who have brought so much glory to the country, and we ended up affecting the brands who supported us purely out of love for the game. Hence, we have decided to call off the India vs Pakistan match. We sincerely apologise again for hurting the sentiments and hope people will understand that all we ever wanted was to bring a few happy moments to the fans.”
It is to be noted that the decision comes in wake of cross border tensions, especially after the terrorist attacks in Pahalgam, which left 26 innocent lives get killed. Moreover, it has to be seen that India and Pakistan haven’t played any bilateral series for more than a decade now and only square off in ICC and ACC events.
