The pull-out of Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan, which led to the cancellation of the India vs Pakistan match on Sunday at the World Champions of Legends (WC 2025), added a new flavour to cricket in the UK. Different Indian teams — the men’s, the women’s and the U19 boys’ team — are currently in England, competing in different formats.
The stars of yesteryears also joined the fun, but before the party could begin, it crashed as the former Indian cricketers boycotted the match against Pakistan. The cancellation led to a lot of speculation, which reached the current Indian team in Manchester.
Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj got uncomfortable and slightly disturbed when he was asked about the WCL India vs Pakistan cancelled match in a press conference in the lead-up to the fourth Test against England.
“I don’t know” was Siraj’s first reply to the reporter who asked about WCL. The reporter, however, did not take the cue. He added another question. This time about Siraj’s opinion on playing against Pakistan at the international stage. Siraj repeated the same answer: “I don’t know what to say.”
What transpired between India and Pakistan in the first week of May in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror on April 22 has left a deep scar on the sporting relations of the two countries. As cricket remains the most followed sport in both India and Pakistan, any form of engagement in the sport has met with severe criticism.
Yuvraj, Harbhajan, the Pathan brothers, and Dhawan have been subjected to heavy criticism ever since the WCL fixtures were announced. The former cricketers then decided to withdraw from the match against Pakistan. However, apart from Dhawan, none of them came up with an official statement.
The WCL organisers apologised and added that they had no intention of hurting the sentiments of the Indian fans. The tournament sponsors, EaseMyTrip, which has a five-year deal with WCL, decided to boycott Pakistan’s matches.
Siraj: India’s workhorse in England
Mohammed Siraj has shouldered the heaviest workload in the ongoing Test series against England, but the Indian pacer isn’t too concerned about the growing conversations around workload management. The 31-year-old has featured in every match so far and is eager to play all five Tests if given the chance.
Siraj has already bowled 109 overs across the series – the most by any Indian pacer. Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for the second Test due to workload concerns, has bowled 86.4 overs. Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep have bowled 62 and 72.1 overs respectively in two games each.
“Thank God I’ve been fit and healthy so far,” Siraj said. “Yes, workload is part of modern cricket and the data will always show how many overs I’ve bowled, but I try not to think too much about it. My focus is on making the most of the opportunity and winning matches for India.”
Siraj has taken 13 wickets in the series so far, including a standout six-wicket haul at Edgbaston.