New Delhi: Former Pakistan cricketer Abdur Rauf Khan didn’t mince his words as he launched scathing criticism of some former Indian cricketers following their decision to boycott the match between India Champions and the Pakistan Champions in the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025. The two teams were set to lock horns in Birmingham on Sunday, July 20.
However, the match was called off by the organisers after heavy backlash on social media and some of the members of the India Champions team pulling out of the contest. While former India opener Shikhar Dhawan made it public via a social media post that he would not play against Pakistan in the tournament, the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, and Yusuf Pathan had reportedly also pulled out of the match.
After the match was called off on Sunday, Rauf ripped into some former Indian cricketers, exposing their double standards when it comes to Pakistan. Rauf claimed some of the former cricketers, who are part of the WCL, have no issues in roaming around and eating out with Pakistani players, but they have a problem when it comes to playing cricket with them.
“Public ke saamne yeh dikhate ho ki hum nahi khelenge, aur saath mein ghumoge and shopping karoge, yeh unfair hai. (They hang around together, eat together, party together — then when it comes to playing a match, why do they portray a different picture in front of the public?),” Rauf told Times Of India.
“It’s not just Pakistani players — even Indian players feel it. We’ve played together, shared dressing rooms, eaten together, gone shopping on tours, stayed in each other’s hotel rooms — we’re friends off the field. To then portray such a hard divide to the public — like ‘we won’t play them’ — that creates unnecessary hype,” he added.
Several former Indian cricketers, including the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Ambati Rayudu, Dhawan, Raina, Harbhajan, Yusuf and Irfan Pathan are representing the India Champions in the WCL 2025 – a veteran cricketers league. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Champions team consists of several former Pakistan cricketers. Similar teams from Australia, South Africa, West Indies and England are also part of the tournament.