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Salman Butt Slams India’s Decision To Cancel WCL Match; Urges End Of IND-PAK Rivalry

Rajgeeta Yadav

India vs Pakistan [Source: ICC/X.com]India vs Pakistan [Source: ICC/X.com]

The much-awaited match between the India Champions and Pakistan Champions in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 was cancelled on Sunday, July 20. The match was supposed to take place in Edgbaston, Birmingham, but it was called off after heavy criticism from fans on social media.

Many Indian fans were upset because the match was scheduled just days after a terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. As a result, several former Indian cricketers decided not to play.

Big names like Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, and Shikhar Dhawan withdrew from the game. Dhawan said he had informed the organisers about his decision back in May.

With so many players backing out and fans voicing anger online, the organisers had no choice but to cancel the match.

Salman Butt Slams India and Questions Their Stand

After the cancellation, former Pakistan cricketer Salman Butt took to his YouTube channel to slam India. He challenged India to stick to their current position and stop playing against Pakistan altogether, not just in one match.

"The whole world is talking about them - what message have they sent to cricket as a whole and to the fans? What are you trying to show? What are you trying to prove? Now don't play in the World Cup...don't play against us in any ICC tournament. Make this a promise. See, we understand that everything has its own place. But now that you are interlinking, don't play against us at any level or tournament. Not even the Olympics. Please do that. I would love to see. The stakes would be high, and I'd see how much nationalism they can show at that level," he said.

Butt’s comments stirred further controversy online, as he questioned India’s commitment to their stance.

WCL Organisers Explain Why Match Was Scheduled

The organisers of the WCL 2025 explained that the India-Pakistan match was planned only after it was confirmed that the Pakistan hockey team would tour India. This made them believe sports ties between the two countries were okay at the time.

Despite the cancelled clash, the WCL 2025 tournament is still going on. India Champions will now start their campaign against South Africa Champions, led by AB de Villiers, on July 22.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Champions will also face South Africa Champions in their next match on July 25.