Shahid Afridi Slams India’s Last-Minute Pullout: “One Bad Egg Spoils Everything” After WCL India-Pakistan Match Cancellation

Shahid Afridi Slams India’s Last-Minute Pullout: The much hyped India vs Pakistan match at the World Championship of Legends (WCL) was cancelled on Sunday after several Indian cricket legends pulled out of the game at the last minute, prompting a sharp reaction from former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi.

According to reports, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan and Yusuf Pathan were among the first to withdraw from playing against Pakistan after public backlash following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

Although there was no official confirmation on these players, veteran Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan confirmed on his social media handle that he won’t be playing the game due to the current “geopolitical” situation between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam incident.

The situation forced WCL to cancel the match and the organisers apologised for “unintentionally causing discomfort” to Indian legends.

Speaking to the media, Afridi stressed the need to separate politics from sport. He said: "We are here to play cricket, and I've always said that cricket should be kept away from politics — it should move forward. A player should be a good ambassador, not a source of embarrassment for their country."

Also Read: India Gears Up as Pakistan Prepares to Raise J&K Issue at United Nations Amid UNSC Presidency

Afridi also slammed India for their last minute decision, saying their players even had a practice session before their opener against Pakistan Champions.

"We've come here to play cricket. If [India] didn't want to play against Pakistan, they should've refused before coming here. But now you've arrived, even held practice sessions, and then suddenly changed everything in a single day," he added.

Pakistan Champions owner Kamil Khan said the WCL will go ahead as per the fixture decided and there will be no changes. He added that WCL will step in if the two teams face each other in the knockout rounds.

"All the remaining matches are taking place. The tournament is going on as per schedule, and there are no changes. As for the semifinals and final, we're currently saying that if we make it to the semifinals, there will be four teams, and we will avoid matches between the two teams," he said.

"If we reach the final, then the decisions regarding that will be made then. And as for this match, the two points will be awarded to us, and we deserve those points as per the rules," he added.

Also Read: Trump Shares AI-Generated Video Depicting Obama’s Arrest: “No One Is Above the Law”

Afridi also called for unity between the two neighbouring countries through sports and reflected on the spirit of cricket.

"Sports bring people closer, but if politics gets involved in everything, how will we move forward? Until we sit together and discuss issues, nothing will improve — lack of communication only makes things worse," he said. "We've come here to play cricket, to have one-on-one interactions and friendly conversations. But sometimes, there's one bad egg that spoils everything for everyone else."

Some media reports even suggested that Afridi’s presence was the reason behind Indian players pulling out of the match. The 48-year-old had made a controversial anti-India statement shortly after the Pahalgam attack was attributed to the Resistance Front, an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba — which had sparked widespread anger.

Afridi said he would have avoided being at the venue if he had known.

"If I had known the match was being stopped because of me, I wouldn't have even gone to the ground. But cricket should go on. What is Shahid Afridi in front of cricket? Nothing," he said.

"The game comes first. As a sport, cricket is the biggest thing. Bringing politics into it or an Indian cricketer saying he won't play against Pakistan — then don't play, just sit out. But sports is bigger, cricket is bigger, and it's bigger than Shahid Afridi too," he concluded.

Also Read: Op Sindoor, Trump’s Ceasefire Claim Top Agenda as Monsoon Session Begins Today