The organisers of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) have officially called off the India-Pakistan match and apologised for hurting the sentiments and hopes of people.
In its statement, WCL said that it had announced the India-Pak fixture after a recent volleyball match between the two countries to create happy memories for fans. The tournament says that this may have ended up hurting the feelings of many and caused discomfort to the Indian legends.
In the wake of this, a decision was made to call off the fixture. WCL further apologised for hurting sentiments.
Earlier, several Indian players, including Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, also informed the media that they would not be playing in the India-Pakistan game. Sources also say some other players in the Indian lineup have also taken a similar stance.
In a post on X, Dhawan shared an email written to the tournament organisers where he said that the decision not to play Pakistan had been communicated to the organisers on May 11.
The email said that the decision not to play Pakistan was taken in consideration of the current geo-political situation. In his post, Dhawan said, “Jo kadam 11 May ko liya, uspe aaj bhi waise hi khada hoon. Mera desh mere liye sab kuch hai, aur desh se badhkar kuch nahi hota. (I standby the decision I took on May 11. My country is everything for me and nothing is bigger than the country)”
One of the tournament sponsors, Travel-tech Portal EaseMyTrip, also released an official statement regarding its sponsorship of the WCL. The company clarified its stance, stating that despite entering into a 5-year sponsorship agreement with WCL two years ago, it will not associate with or participate in any match involving Pakistan. The travel tech platform emphasised that its position has always been clear. EaseMyTrip supports the India Champions and stands firmly by the team. However, the company maintains that it does not support or promote any match that includes Pakistan. EaseMyTrip reaffirmed its commitment to Team India, expressing its desire to see the cup brought home.
On Sunday, in a post on X, EaseMyTrip wrote, “Despite entering into a 5-year sponsorship agreement with the World Championship of Legends (WCL) two years ago, our stance has always been clear– EaseMyTrip will not be associated with or participate in any WCL match involving Pakistan. We proudly continue to support the India Champions and stand firmly by our team. However, as a matter of principle, we do not support or promote any match that includes Pakistan. This position was communicated unambiguously to the WCL team from the beginning. EaseMyTrip supports Team India, but will not engage in any match featuring Pakistan. Let’s bring the cup home. Bharat First. Always.”
Scheduled to be held from July 18 to August 2 across Birmingham, Northampton, Leicester, and Leeds, WCL 2025 brings together the heroes of yesteryears in a summer spectacle sanctioned by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
