The India vs Pakistan semi-final at the World Championship of Legends will not be happening as the India Champions team have forfeited the clash. As per reports, Shikhar Dhawan, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina had shared their unwillingness to play the knockout game against Pakistan.
In a statement released by the WCL organisers India’s decision to withdraw from the semi-final was revealed. Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi watched India Champions Team, led by Yuvraj Singh, leave the stadium, after the latter decided not to play against team Pakistan Champions in the World Championship of Legends semifinal.
The Indian team's decision came in the wake of the worsened political relations between India and Pakistan, following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, where the players refused to play against their Cricketing arch rival.
As per latest updates, the semifinal scheduled for Thursday, July 31, in Birmingham, was cancelled following the refusal, and reports say that the match was awarded to the Pakistan side, who will play in the final.
The Indian players had also refused to play against Pakistan in the league stage, particularly as an objection to the presence of Shahid Afridi in their side, and they are believed to have taken the same stance for the semifinal.
The Indian Champions Team had reached the semifinal after defeating the West Indies Champions in their previous 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 organisers informed in a statement. "As a result, Pakistan Champions will advance to the final," the statement said.
Though they have always believed in the power of sport to bring about positive change in the world, the organisers of WCL said, they realise that "public sentiment must always be respected -- after all, everything we do is for our audience".
The India Champions team have cricketers like Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, brothers Irfan and Yousuf Pathan, all of whom had refused to play against Pakistan Champions on Wednesday.
A video has emerged on X which shows a helpless Shahid Afridi, standing at the stadium balcony, as he watches opponent team members, captain Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina leave the pavilion with their kits, after they withdrew from the match.
Shahid Afridi, after reaching the semi-finals, made a provocative statement saying, "Pata nahi ab kis muh se khelega par khelega humare sath hi (Don't know how...it will be too embarrassing for India to face us, but they will have to play against us only)". However, Afridi's comment backfired as the India Champions team preferred to walk out of the tournament rather than play against Pakistan Champions.
Afridi thought that team India would have no other option but to play against them since the WCL 2025 semi-final is a knockout game, but the Yuvraj Singh-led team decided to walk out, than play against Pakistan.
The development, unfortunately, comes amid a strong wave of anti-Pakistan sentiment in the country. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has faced intense criticism for agreeing to host the Asia Cup, a tournament where India and Pakistan could potentially face off as many as three times. In May, India carried out a targeted, non-escalatory military operation - Operation Sindoor - in response to a gruesome terror attack in Pahalgam the previous month.
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