Pakistan Champions on Wednesday advanced to the final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) after the Indian Champions pull f out of their scheduled semifinal clash.
The high-profile match was set to take place on Thursday at Edgbaston Cricket Ground. However, the Indian Champions, featuring former international stars such as Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, and Harbhajan Singh, opted out of the fixture in protest, reiterating their stance against participating in any cricket match involving Pakistan due to the current geopolitical situation and prevailing tensions, The Hindu reported.
Later, the WCL management also confirmed the development, saying they respect the sentiments of both teams.
“We respect the Indian Champions decision to withdraw from semifinal and we equally respect Pakistan Champions decision to compete,” the WCL said in a statement.
“Taking all factors into consideration, the match between India Champions and Pakistan Champions has been called off. As a result, Pakistan Champions advance to the final,” it added.
This is the second time India have refused to play against Pakistan during the ongoing tournament. A similar decision was taken during the group stage, leading to the cancellation of that match as well.
India’s withdrawal automatically propels Pakistan to the final, as per tournament regulations.
Separately, in a statement shared on social media, Nishant Pitti, co-founder of tournament sponsor EaseMyTrip, announced it would not be associated with the India vs Pakistan match.
“Some things are bigger than sport. Nation first, business later. Always,” Pitti wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
India Champions qualified for the semifinal after winning their only match in the tournament against West Indies Champions on Tuesday, chasing down the target in just 13.2 overs. Pakistan, meanwhile, have been among the tournament’s strongest sides, securing top position in the group stage.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.