Shahid Afridi breaks silence after India withdraw from Pakistan match in WCL

Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi speaks up after several Indian players withdrew from the second edition of the World Championship of Legends (WCL), citing geopolitical tensions. As a result, the highly anticipated match between India and Pakistan at Edgbaston, Birmingham, was abruptly cancelled.

Shahid Afridi lashed out at the Indian contingent for mixing politics with sports

The incident occurred on July 20, 2025. Reports revealed that prominent Indian cricketers including Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Yusuf Pathan were among those who opted out, allegedly in response to public backlash following the Pahalgam terror attack in April.

While no official list was released, Shikhar Dhawan confirmed his decision on social media, attributing his withdrawal to the prevailing “geopolitical situation” between the two nations post the attack.

Shahid expressed disappointment over India’s last-minute pullout after their team had already arrived and conducted practice sessions.

“We’ve come here to play cricket. If India didn’t want to play against Pakistan, they should’ve said so earlier. Why arrive, practice, and then suddenly change everything?” he said.

The WCL organizers, meanwhile, clarified that the tournament would proceed as planned, with Pakistan Champions being awarded two points for the forfeited match.

Kamil Khan, the oowner of the Pakistan Champions Cricket Team in the World Championship of Legends stated that while the group-stage matches would go on unchanged, efforts would be made to avoid a face-off between India and Pakistan in the knockout rounds, unless it was absolutely necessary.

Media reports suggest that Shahid's presence at the tournament was a significant factor behind the Indian players' exit owing to his controversial remarks against India post-Pahalgam attack.

“If I had known I was the reason, I wouldn’t have even gone to the ground. Cricket is bigger than Shahid Afridi or any individual," Afridi said.

“Sports bring people closer. If politics keeps getting dragged into everything, how will we ever move forward? Lack of dialogue only deepens misunderstandings,” he said, concluding that cricket should be about friendly competition and respect, not politics.

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