Former India batter Shikhar Dhawan is the latest cricketer to pull out of the upcoming World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 match against Pakistan, set to be played on Sunday, July 20, at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
There is a cloud over the upcoming fixture, and it remains to be seen whether the match goes ahead according to plan or not. There has been a huge furore on social media regarding former Indian cricketers squaring off against Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 tourists.
It must be mentioned that India and Pakistan don’t play bilateral cricket with each other, and the relations between the two countries soured further after the terror attack in Kashmir.
Dhawan’s official confirmation states that the cricketer informed the organisers well in advance that he wouldn’t play against Pakistan on July 20 in Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Shikhar Dhawan confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that he would not be participating in the fixture against Pakistan. The former India batter shared a screenshot of the mail his team sent to the tournament’s organisers regarding the match against Pakistan.
The mail reads, “This is to formally reiterate and confirm that Mr. Shikhar Dhawan will not be participating in any matches against the Pakistan team in the upcoming WCL League. This decision was communicated earlier during our discussion on call and WhatsApp dated 11th May 2025.”
“In view of the current geopolitical situation and prevailing tensions between India and Pakistan, Mr Dhawan and his team have taken this position after due consideration. We respectfully request the league’s understanding and cooperation on this matter,” the mail reads further.
Sharing the mail, Dhawan wrote, “Jo Kadam 11 May ko liya, uspe aaj bhi waise hi khada hoon. Mera desh mere liye sab kuch hai, aur desh see badhkar aur kuch nahi hota. (The decision I took on 11 May, I still stand by it. My country is everything to me and nothing is greater than the country).”
Harbhajan, Pathan brothers pull out too
According to a RevSportz report, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Yusuf Pathan also pulled out of the match against Pakistan.
A further update on the contest between India and Pakistan is awaited. Considering several Indian cricketers continue to pull out, it needs to be seen whether it goes as planned.
The BCCI doesn’t control the Indian players’ participation in the WCL, which is an independent private tournament.
The Pakistan Champions team is being led by Shahid Afridi. Earlier this year, the former Pakistan captain had made derogatory statements about the Indian Army in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Dhawan and Afridi were involved in a back-and-forth exchange on social media as the former launched a scathing attack for his derogatory remarks. Afridi’s comment was even criticised by his former Pakistan teammate Danish Kaneria.