Reportedly, four players -- Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, and Irfan Pathan -- have withdrawn from the match against Pakistan and more players in the squad are expected to follow suit.
A day before the much-anticipated India vs Pakistan clash in the World Championship of Legends Cricket 2025, several former India cricketers have reportedly pulled out of the fixture, fearing backlash from fans.
The 2025 edition of the World Championship of Legends Cricket, which kickstarted in Birmingham on Friday, features six teams: India Champions, Pakistan Champions, England Champions, Australia Champions, South Africa Champions, and West Indies Champions.
The Edgbaston Stadium will host all the matches.
Reportedly, four players - Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, and Irfan Pathan -- have withdrawn from the tie and more players in the squad are expected to follow suit.
Notably, Harbhajan and Yusuf are Members of Parliament.
India Champions are led by Yuvraj Singh and the side features some prominent names including Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, and Robin Uthappa among others.
Bilateral cricket has been suspended since 2013 between the Asian neighbours, who play each other only in multi-team events.
Already-soured relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours further worsened after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed.
India refused to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy this year and played all their matches, including the March 9 final, in Dubai.
According to reports, the players decided to give the match a miss “on moral grounds”, expressing solidarity with the victims and respecting the public sentiment in the country which is overwhelmingly against any form of sporting engagement with Pakistan.
India's squad for WCL 2025:
Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Yuvraj Singh (Captain), Yusuf Pathan, Stuart Binny, Irfan Pathan, Robin Uthappa (Wicketkeeper), Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Vinay Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Abhimanyu Mithun, Varun Aaron.
