WCL Boycotted India vs Pakistan Match: 'We thought of continuing with the India vs Pakistan match...': WCL scraps Indo-Pak clash as legends walk out

The high-voltage clash between India vs Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, which was supposed to take place at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham, has been called off by the organisers. In a statement a day before the clash, the WCL said that by organising the match, they may have ended up hurting the feelings of many and stirring emotions.

Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan who was supposed to play the India vs Pakistan fixture, also took to social media to clarify his stand. In a tweet and Instagram story late Saturday night, a statement from Dhawan’s handle read,

“This is to formally reiterate and confirm that Mr. Shikhar Dhawan will not be participating in any matches against the Pakistan team in the upcoming WCL League. This decision was communicated earlier during our discussion on call and WhatsApp dated 11th May 2025.

Earlier, World Cup-winning stars Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan also withdrew their names from the upcoming World Championship of Legends (WCL) game against Pakistan after facing severe public backlash.

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As for the organisers, in their official statement regarding the call-off, they stated their aim was to give fans some good, happy moments and that they went ahead with this fixture, seeing the recent India vs Pakistan volleyball match along with a few other fixtures between the two nations in different sports.

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“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. But maybe in the process, we ended up hurting the feelings of many and stirring emotions," read their statement.

India legends' stance not to play against Pakistan came because of the Pahalgam terror attack. The Pahalgam terror attack happened on April 22, resulting in the death of 26 civilians near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir. The Resistance Front initially claimed the brutal attack, believed to be affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba.