The staging of the India-Pakistan fixture in the World Championship of Legends is in doubt, according to reports in both Indian and Pakistani media outlets.
Several India players have threatened to pull out, with the participation of former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi at issue. Afridi came in for severe criticism from several members of the India squad for comments interpreted as blaming India for the Pahalgam terror attacks, in which 26 people, the majority Indian tourists, were killed.
Yusuf and Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh are among those said to have pulled out. The fixture is scheduled to take place Sunday, July 20th (tomorrow) at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Afridi did not feature in Pakistan’s opening fixture against England, but is listed in the squad on the WCL website.
World Championship of Legends have been approached for comment.
What is World Championship of Legends?
World Championship of Legends is an ECB-approved tournament, in the T20 format but not with full T20 status. Founded by Harshit Tomar, a Delhi-based rapper, the competition brings together retired cricketers from six nations, with England, Australia, South Africa and West Indies being the other four. Former players participating include Eoin Morgan, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers.
The current edition is the second season of the competition. Four venues are in use. England lost the opener to Pakistan by five runs, with South Africa winning a bowl-out against West Indies after a rain-affected tie in the second game.
Strained India-Pakistan relations in cricket
Following the Pahalgam attacks, India and Pakistan engaged in a short military conflict before a ceasefire. The Indian Premier League and the Pakistan Super League were both paused due to safety concerns.
While both competitions later resumed, the future of international fixtures between the two sides is murky. India and Pakistan have not played bilateral cricket against each other in over a decade, with multi-team competitions their only opportunity to play against each other. Whether the 2025 Asia Cup will take place is unclear, and the two sides are scheduled to play on neutral turf in Sri Lanka in the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup. Before the conflict, India refused to tour Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy, their fixtures instead staged in the UAE. Pakistan did play in India in the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup, but have since stated they will refuse to play in India in future events.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
