India Champions Withdraw from WCL Semifinal vs. Pakistan
Team Prioritizes National Sentiment After Pahalgam Attack; Shahid Afridi's Jibe Backfires as India Forfeits Match.
- India Champions withdrew from their World Championship of Legends semifinal against Pakistan Champions.
- The decision stemmed from worsened India-Pakistan political relations after the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
- Shahid Afridi’s earlier jibe about India “having to play” them backfired due to India’s firm stance.
GG News Bureau
Birmingham, 31st July: The highly anticipated semifinal clash between India Champions and Pakistan Champions in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) has been called off, with the India Champions team, led by Yuvraj Singh, choosing to withdraw rather than play their arch-rivals. This decision comes in the wake of worsened political relations between India and Pakistan, specifically following the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack.
The Indian team had previously refused to play against Pakistan in the league stage of the tournament. Doubts lingered about their stance in a knockout semifinal, but the India Champions reiterated their position loud and clear, confirming they would not play the Shahid Afridi-led team, regardless of the occasion.
A video circulating on social media shows a seemingly helpless Shahid Afridi watching from the stadium balcony as Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, and other team members left the venue after India’s withdrawal. This development is a direct retort to Afridi’s provocative statement made after reaching the semi-final: “Pata nahi ab kis muh se khelga par khelega hamare sath hi (Don’t know from which face India will play, but they will have to play against us only).” Afridi’s comment has now backfired, as the India Champions team opted to walk out of the tournament rather than compete against Pakistan Champions. They demonstrated that even in a knockout game, their national sentiment held precedence over the match.
“We respect the India Champions’ decision to withdraw from the semifinals, and we equally respect the Pakistan Champions’ readiness to compete. Taking all factors into consideration, the match between the India Champions and the Pakistan Champions has been called off,” the WCL organizers stated on Wednesday. The statement confirmed that “As a result, Pakistan Champions will advance to the final.”
The organizers acknowledged their belief in the power of sport to bring positive change but recognized that “public sentiment must always be respected — after all, everything we do is for our audience.”
The India Champions squad, which includes prominent players like Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, and Yusuf Pathan, all collectively maintained their stance against playing Pakistan Champions. India Champions had secured their semifinal spot by defeating West Indies Champions in their previous match.
