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BIRMINGHAM: The highly anticipated India vs. Pakistan Champions fixture at the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 has officially been called off, just hours before the two sides were set to meet at Edgbaston on Sunday.
The organisers made the announcement through a statement posted on the tournament’s official social media platforms, confirming the cancellation of what was expected to be a marquee clash.
“We at WCL have always cherished and loved cricket, and our only aim has been to give fans some good, happy moments,” the statement read.
“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.
“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 development comes amid growing tension surrounding the fixture. Indian media reports earlier claimed that five prominent Indian cricketers had raised objections to former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi’s inclusion in the tournament, threatening to withdraw from the match if he was part of the squad or even entered the stadium.
According to reports, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, and Shikhar Dhawan conveyed their concerns to the organisers. Harbhajan and Yusuf are said to have already pulled out, while Dhawan reportedly confirmed his withdrawal through a post on his Instagram story.
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