India-Pak Match Blown Away by Storm of Protest, WCL Organisers Under Pressure
A major controversy forced WCL organizers to cancel the India-Pakistan match after strong protests and criticism from veteran Indian players, pushing them into a defensive position.
Sports News: The much-awaited match between India and Pakistan has been abruptly cancelled by the World Championship of Legends (WCL). The reason for this was the refusal of Indian veteran cricketers to play in the match, which was allegedly due to the emotions related to the Pahalgam terrorist attack in April. After this decision, WCL publicly apologized and admitted that they had inadvertently hurt the sentiments of Indian cricket legends and fans.
Reasons for the match being cancelled
This match was supposed to take place in the second edition of the World Championship of Legends, but the organizers had to cancel it as many Indian legends decided to withdraw from it. According to reports, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, and Irfan Pathan have pulled out of the match.
Official statement from WCL
In a statement issued by WCL, it is said that our aim was to give happy moments to fans around the world through sports. Recently, after seeing the volleyball match between India and Pakistan and the news of the Pakistan hockey team coming to India, we thought of creating a positive atmosphere through cricket. But perhaps this thought of ours inadvertently hurt the feelings of some people.
We saw that this has caused discomfort to our cricket legends who have made the country proud. It has also affected the brands that were with us just for the love of the game. Hence, we have decided to cancel this match.”
Clear stand of Shikhar Dhawan
Former opener Shikhar Dhawan had informed the organizers through an email on May 11 that he would not play this match against Pakistan. He cited the "geopolitical situation" as the reason behind this decision. Dhawan has written in his ex's (former Twitter) post that I still stand by the step I took on May 11. My country is everything to me, and nothing is greater than the country.
Background of Pahalgam terror attack
Many security personnel were injured in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on 22 April. After this incident, the atmosphere in India remained sensitive regarding the cricket match against Pakistan. This was the reason why many great players backed out from this match. The cancellation of the India-Pak match has become a bigger issue than a sports event. This incident also shows that patriotism is paramount for the players, and along with sportsmanship, it is equally important to respect national sentiments.
