The much-anticipated India vs Pakistan fixture in the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL) has been officially cancelled following strong public opposition. The decision comes in the wake of growing unrest over the scheduling of the match, especially in the aftermath of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
According to earlier reports from India Today, several Indian players—including former spinner Harbhajan Singh, opener Shikhar Dhawan, all-rounder Yusuf Pathan, and ex-batter Suresh Raina—had withdrawn from the match prior to its cancellation.
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Season two of the WCL kicked off on July 18, with Pakistan Champions taking on England Champions in the opener. However, the spotlight was firmly on the high-voltage India vs Pakistan encounter, which was originally set for July 20.
With mounting criticism and concerns expressed across social media and other platforms, the organisers opted to call off the match, citing respect for public sentiment. They also issued an apology for unintentionally hurting the feelings of citizens during a sensitive time.
“Dear All, 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 thought of continuing with the India vs Pakistan match at WCL - just to create some happy memories for people around the globe,” WCL organisers said in a statement.
“But maybe in the process, we ended up hurting the feelings of many and stirring emotions. 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,” the statement read.
The cancelled match would have featured former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, a figure often embroiled in controversy due to his past remarks about India. Afridi has frequently drawn criticism for his provocative statements, which many have labelled as inflammatory and divisive.
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