Why Was India vs Pakistan Match Scheduled Despite Shikhar Dhawan's Message In May? WCL Reply

The India vs Pakistan veterans' match in the World Championship of Legends, scheduled to be held in Birmingham on Sunday, had to be cancelled after Indian players, including Shikhar Dhawan, refused to be a part of it, citing the Pahalgam terror attack in April. Though Dhawan had explained his stance on the matter to the organisers in May, he reiterated on Saturday that his decision on the topic hasn't changed. After multiple other Indian veterans like Harbhajan Singh and Pathan brothers also took a similar stance, the organisers had no option but to cancel the contest. 

Taking to social media, the WCL organisers explained the logic behind scheduling an India vs Pakistan match despite the tense political relations between the two countries. In a post, the organisers said that it was the recent volleyball match between the two countries and the forthcoming hockey contest, which will see Pakistan visiting India, that convinced them to take this decision.

"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 said in a post on X.

Dear all , pic.twitter.com/ViIlA3ZrLl

— World Championship Of Legends (@WclLeague) July 19, 2025

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

The organisers also apologised for "unintentionally causing discomfort" to Indian legends.

"Hence, we have decided to call off the India-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," it read.

India had defeated Pakistan by five wickets to win the inaugural edition of the six-team legends tournament last year in Edgbaston.

World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh is the captain of the India legends, while the squad also features the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa and Varun Aaron among others.

With PTI Inputs

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team Shikhar Dhawan Cricket