2-3 Star Indian Cricketers Pull Out Of Pakistan Game At World Championship Of Legends 2025 Amidst Public Outrage: Report | Cricket News
A few Indian players are reportedly set to withdraw from the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 match against Pakistan, which is scheduled to take place on July 20 at Edgbaston, Birmingham. According to information obtained by Sports Tak, two to three prominent Indian cricketers are highly unlikely to feature in the highly anticipated clash.
The match comes at a time of heightened political and military tension between India and Pakistan. Public sentiment in India is overwhelmingly against any form of sporting engagement with Pakistan following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of innocent civilians. In retaliation, India launched a military operation named Operation Sindoor, targeting several terrorist base camps across the border in Pakistan.
This sharp escalation has pushed both nuclear-armed nations dangerously close to a larger conflict. Anger is rising among the Indian public, with diplomatic relations also under severe strain.
While participation in official ICC or ACC tournaments is often seen as unavoidable due to their competitive and high-stakes nature, many critics argue that playing against Pakistan in the WCL a franchise-style, money-driven league makes little sense under the current circumstances. Public discourse is increasingly questioning the need to compete against Pakistan in what is widely considered a commercial event with no national obligation.
Amidst these tensions, the tournament organisers have reportedly decided to exclude Shahid Afridi from participating. Afridi, a former captain of the Pakistan national team, has made several political statements recently targeting India and Indian citizens. His absence from the WCL is seen as a precautionary measure in light of the current geopolitical climate. Pakistani participation in the WCL was already under question following the Pahalgam attack and India’s subsequent military response under Operation Sindoor. However, with the 2025 T20 Asia Cup likely to proceed with both nations participating, the WCL organisers chose to allow Pakistani players to compete in the league.
In Afridi’s absence, Pakistan Champions are being led by veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez. They started their campaign on a positive note with a narrow five-run victory against hosts England on July 18.
India’s squad for WCL 2025:
Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Yuvraj Singh (Captain), Yusuf Pathan, Stuart Binny, Irfan Pathan, Robin Uthappa (Wicketkeeper), Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Vinay Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Abhimanyu Mithun, Varun Aaron.
Pakistan’s squad for WCL 2025:
Sohaib Maqsood, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asif Ali, Sharjeel Khan, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Aamer Yamin, Sohail Tanvir, Sohail Khan, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal.
