The high-voltage India vs Pakistan veterans’ clash at the World Championship of Legends (WCL) was called off after several Indian cricketers, including captain Shikhar Dhawan, refused to participate citing national sentiment following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 tourists.
The match, scheduled for Sunday, 20 July 2025, at Edgbaston, was billed as one of the marquee fixtures of the WCL—a tournament co-owned by Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn. However, India’s withdrawal sparked a wave of emotion, leading the organisers to cancel the tie and issue an apology.
Australian fast bowling great Brett Lee, who is part of the Australia Champions squad, responded to the situation at a press conference. He urged for unity and respect amidst global tensions.
“That is a tough question. But the thing I’ll say right is, I love India, I love Pakistan. I hope they can come to a place of mutual appreciation. Most importantly, we are here to play cricket and celebrate sport inclusively.”
The WCL’s organisers had hoped to emulate the spirit of a recent India-Pakistan volleyball fixture by staging the legends’ match, but the move backfired. In a statement on X, the league acknowledged it may have misread the emotional climate and unintentionally stirred unrest:
“Maybe in the process, we ended up hurting the feelings of many and stirring emotions. We sincerely apologise for causing discomfort to Indian legends.”
Shikhar Dhawan publicly shared that he had informed the organisers well in advance of his unwillingness to play Pakistan. Sharing a dated email from 11 May and reaffirming his stance on X, he wrote:
“Jo kadam 11 May ko liya, uspe aaj bhi waise hi khada hoon. Mera desh mere liye sab kuch hai, aur desh se badhkar kuch nahi hota.”
(I stand by the decision I took on 11 May. My country means everything to me, and nothing is more important than the nation.)
Other senior Indian players, including Harbhajan Singh (a sitting Rajya Sabha MP), and parliamentarians Yusuf and Irfan Pathan, also supported the boycott, although they have not yet made individual statements.
The India Champions, captained by World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh, were last year’s WCL title holders, having defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the final.
While India and Pakistan rarely meet in bilateral cricket due to long-standing geopolitical tensions, the Indian government has permitted Pakistan’s participation in other international events being hosted in India this year—like the Hockey Asia Cup and Junior Shooting World Cup—to avoid breaching the Olympic Charter, which prohibits exclusion based on political reasons.
Support our Journalism
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.
