The veterans’ cricket match between India and Pakistan in the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL) was cancelled on Sunday after Indian players refused to participate. The match was scheduled to be held in Birmingham as part of the England and Wales Cricket Board-sanctioned tournament.
Former India cricketers including Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh and the Pathan brothers opted out of the fixture, citing the April Pahalgam terror attack and the prevailing tensions between the two countries. In his statement, Dhawan said the decision was taken in view of the current geopolitical situation and had been communicated to the organisers earlier in May.
The WCL match, slated for July 20 at Edgbaston, has been called off after Indian players refused to take the field against Pakistan Champions.
Shikhar Dhawan attributed his withdrawal to the “current geopolitical situation” and the aftermath of “Operation Sindoor”, India’s retaliatory military operation following the Pahalgam terror strike.
The tournament’s organisers, co-owned by Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn, said their intent was to “create happy memories” amid recent Indo-Pak sporting exchanges, including volleyball, but conceded they may have “unintentionally caused discomfort.”
The public sentiment appeared anything but forgiving. “There shouldn’t be India vs Pakistan in the Asia Cup as well. If it cannot happen, then don’t play Asia Cup,” read a viral post on X, mirroring growing calls for India to freeze all sporting ties with its western neighbour.
Amid the furore, Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday confirmed that India will allow Pakistan’s hockey teams to travel for two upcoming events: the Hockey Asia Cup in Rajgir (Aug 27–Sept 7) and the Junior World Cup later this year.
India has "no problem playing Pakistan in international tournaments where multiple countries are involved," Mandaviya said.
"It is now up to their government whether they send the teams," he added, attempting to downplay concerns of an official boycott.
But with tensions still raw from the Pahalgam attack and players pulling out of even non-official fixtures, a question remains. Should India be playing Pakistan in any format, even in global or regional tournaments?
That dilemma is looming large over cricket.
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is yet to officially confirm the schedule for the 2025 Asia Cup, but speculation is rife that the tournament could adopt a hybrid model, with Sri Lanka hosting Pakistan matches while India, the designated host, plays all its games at home or in a neutral venue.
A similar model was used during the 2023 Asia Cup, when India refused to travel to Pakistan, forcing matches to be split across Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
While the BCCI maintains that participation will hinge on government clearance, critics argue that the Centre's mixed messaging, allowing hockey but dithering on cricket, has created ambiguity.
The issue took a sharper edge after former Pakistan pacer Abdur Rauf Khan blasted Indian players for what he called “double standards”.
“You show the public that you won’t play each other, but behind the scenes you travel together and go shopping — that’s unfair,” Rauf told The Times of India.
He accused players of projecting a fractured public image while sharing warm camaraderie off-camera. “We’ve shared dressing rooms, hotel rooms, eaten together… but then when it comes to a match, they create drama. This hurts fans,” Rauf added.
