Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 31: Making no compromise on the nationalistic stand, India veterans bowed out of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) tournament currently being held in England, refusing to play their semi-final match against Pakistan on Thursday in view of the worsened political relations between the two countries since the Pahalgam terror attack.
All the Pakistani veterans’ team captain Shahid Afridi could do was watch from the stadium balcony as Yuvraj Singh-led India Champions team left the stadium after deciding to not play against Pakistan Champions in the semi-final.
The Indian team first refused to play against Pakistan in the league stage of the campaign, but there were doubts if the same stance would be maintained in the semi-final.
However, as soon as the semi-final fixtures were decided, the India Champions team conveyed their message loud and clear, reiterating their stance on not playing the Shahid Afridi-led team, no matter the occasion. A video has emerged on social media, showing a helpless Shahid Afridi watching from the stadium’s balcony as Indian team members left the venue after India’s withdrawal from the match.
After reaching the semi-final, Afridi had made a provocative statement, saying “Pata nahi ab kis muh se khelga par khelega hamare sath hi (Don’t know from which face India will play, but they will have to play against us only)”. However, Afridi’s comment backfired as the India Champions team preferred to walk out of the tournament than play against Pakistan Champions.
Afridi thought India would have no other option but to play against them since the WCL 2025 semi-final is a knockout game, but the Yuvraj Singh-led team decided to walk out with their heads held high than to play against Pakistan. India Champions had reached the semi-final after defeating the West Indies Champions in their previous match.
“We respect the India Champions’ decision to withdraw from the semi-finals, and we equally respect the Pakistan Champions’ readiness to compete. Taking all factors into consideration, the match between the India Champions and the Pakistan Champions has been called off,” the organisers informed in a statement on Wednesday.” As a result, Pakistan Champions will advance to the final,” the statement said.
The organisers of WCL said, though they have always believed in the power of sport to bring about positive change in the world, they realise that “public sentiment must always be respected — after all, everything we do is for our audience.” India Champions have players like Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan and Yousuf Pathan, all of whom had refused to play against Pakistan Champions both during the league stage and now at the semi-final.
