India vs Pakistan WCL match called off, as Indian players like Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, and others pull out

Overview

• The match between India and Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends has been called off
• Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, and Harbhajan Singh boycotted the match
• WCL officially released a statement to announce the cancellation of the match

The match between India and Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends Tournament, which was set to take place on the 20th of July, has been called off. The official handle of the WCL took to X and confirmed the news after Indian cricketers like Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, and Harbhajan Singh boycotted the match.

Following the tensions between India and Pakistan a couple of months ago due to the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, India had distanced itself from its neighboring country and banned the accounts of some key persons, including cricketers, which was lifted a few days ago. Many, including WCL, thought it was a progressive step towards a friendly relationship.

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However, WCL soon realized it wasn't, as they mentioned in their statement that their misconception was based on the fact that India is scheduled to face Pakistan in Hockey later this year and the two sides played in a Volleyball match a few days ago. WCL claimed their motive was to bring joy back to the fans and not to hurt the emotions of people.

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WCL realized that the Indian players were put in discomfort with their decision, leading to them boycotting the match. As a result, WCL officially confirmed that the match between the two arch-rivals has been cancelled due to the tensions between the two countries. The officials sincerely apologized to those whose sentiments were hurt by their decision.

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WCL's statement on India vs Pakistan match being called off

"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. But maybe in the process, we ended up hurting the feelings of many and stirring emotions," wrote WCL in their statement on X.

"More than that, we unintentionally caused discomfort to our Indian Cricket Legends, who have brought so much glory to the country, and we ended up affecting the brands who supported us purely out of love for the game. Hence, we have decided to call off the India-Pakistan match. We sincerely apologise again for hurting the sentiments and hope people will understand that all we ever wanted was to bring a few happy moments to the fans," WCL added in their statement.