IND VS PAK WCL Semifinal: The much-anticipated World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 semi-final between India Champions and Pakistan Champions has been called off after India withdrew from the fixture, citing national sentiment in the wake of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam.
IND VS PAK WCL Semifinal Called Off: What Happened?
The match was scheduled for Thursday at Edgbaston in Birmingham, but senior members of the Indian side, including Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, declined to take the field. The decision aligns with India’s longstanding position on bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan during periods of diplomatic strain.
As a result, Pakistan Champions, led by Mohammad Hafeez, have progressed to the final by default. It will be their second consecutive appearance in the WCL final, having lost to India in the inaugural edition last year.
In a brief statement, WCL organisers acknowledged India’s decision while affirming Pakistan’s preparedness to compete. “Public sentiment must always be respected,” the statement read. “Taking all factors into consideration, the match… has been called off.”
India had earlier refused to face Pakistan in the group stage of the same tournament. That match was also abandoned, with the organisers issuing an apology for “unintentionally causing discomfort” to the Indian players.
India entered the semi-final on the back of a solitary win in the league stage, a convincing chase against the West Indies Champions. Pakistan, on the other hand, emerged as group toppers with four wins from five games.
The final will proceed as scheduled, but Pakistan has to wait to know their opponents until the second semifinal gets done between Australia and South Africa
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