A veterans’ cricket match between India and Pakistan, scheduled as part of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) in Edgbaston, has been cancelled after several Indian players, including Shikhar Dhawan, declined to participate, citing the Pahalgam attack as the reason.
The second edition of the tournament began on June 18 and is set to conclude on August 2. The India Legends team is led by World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh and includes prominent names like Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, and Varun Aaron.
The WCL organisers issued a statement on X explaining their decision to cancel the high-profile match. They said their aim was to offer fans joyful moments by reviving the classic India-Pakistan rivalry, especially in the backdrop of other recent sporting exchanges between the two nations such as hockey and volleyball.
“Seeing Pakistan’s hockey team coming to India and the recent volleyball match between the two countries, we thought the India vs Pakistan match at WCL could help recreate some happy memories,” the statement read. “However, we understand now that it may have hurt sentiments and stirred emotions.”
The organisers apologised for unintentionally upsetting Indian players and fans, stating, “We’ve decided to cancel the match. We deeply regret any discomfort caused and hope people understand our intent was always to bring smiles to fans’ faces.”
Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan also released a statement on X confirming he would not take part in any match against Pakistan in the WCL. He said the decision had already been communicated to the organisers back in May.
India had won the previous edition of the tournament, beating Pakistan by five wickets in the final held at Edgbaston.
