New Delhi: The match between India Champions and Pakistan Champions in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 was called off on Sunday after a social media furore. The India-Pakistan match, involving several former cricketers from both nations, was scheduled to be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday, July 20. However, the match has been cancelled.
The organisers decided to cancel the India-Pakistan game following heavy criticism on social media amid the ongoing political tensions between the two countries. Some notable names, including former India opener Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, and Suresh Raina, had also pulled out of the game against Pakistan.
In a statement, WCL stated that the organisers decided to go ahead with the India Champions vs Pakistan Champions match following a recent volleyball fixture between the two countries, along with some other encounters in other sports. However, they acknowledged that the decision may have hurt the sentiments of many and also caused discomfort to some of the former Indian cricketers in the India Champions team.
“We at WCL have always cherished and loved cricket, and our only aim has been to give fans some good, happy moments,” read a statement from WCL.
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,” it added.