BIRMINGHAM (Kashmir English): Cricket fans were left disappointed as the much-anticipated Pak vs India legends match was cancelled just hours before it was scheduled to begin. The exhibition game was part of the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL) in Birmingham, UK.
The Pak vs India legends match between former stars of both nations was expected to draw a large crowd and reignite memories of historic cricket rivalries. However, Indian players backed out of the match, reportedly due to “geopolitical tensions” between India and Pakistan.
In a statement posted on X, WCL organisers announced that, “We have decided to call off the Pak vs India legends match,” saying that the match between the two countries was planned in light of recent positive development between India and Pakistan, indicating improved bilateral sporting ties.
One of the sponsors of the tournament, an Indian travel company, also said in a statement posted on X that it will “will not be associated with or participate in any WCL match involving Pakistan”.
The league’s statement cited the “current geopolitical situation and prevailing tensions between India and Pakistan” as the reasons for withdrawal.
WCL, in its statement, apologised for “hurting” people’s sentiments and causing discomfort to Indian players for WCL’s decision to hold the match in the first place.
The Pak vs India legends match, scheduled for Sunday (today), was to be the first between the two nations in the tournament. The Pakistani team is being led by Mohammed Hafeez, while Yuvraj Singh is leading the Indian side.
According to WCL’s website, the tournament is set to run until August 2 with participation from England, India, Pakistan, Australia, the West Indies and South Africa.
WCL will be held across four English cities – Birmingham, Northampton, Leeds and Leicester.
Reacting to the development, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman condemned the cancellation: “Indian cricketers, following in [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi’s footsteps by refusing to play against Pakistan, have turned sports into hatred.”
“Defeat on the battlefield, failure in diplomacy, and now fleeing from sports, India faces embarrassment on every front,” Rehman, who was part of a delegation that conveyed Pakistan’s stance on the recent conflict with India, said in a post on X.
This was one of the headline events of the WCL, which began on July 18 and will continue through August 2, taking place across four cities in the United Kingdom. While the rest of the tournament continues as planned, the cancellation of the Pak vs India legends fixture has taken some of the shine off the event.
