Indian players refuse to play against Shahid Afridi in World Championship of Legends clash

Five Indian cricketers have reportedly refused to play in the World Championship of Legends match against a Pakistan team featuring Shahid Afridi due to his controversial remarks and actions regarding India.

Birmingham: The highly anticipated India vs Pakistan match in the second edition of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) is in jeopardy, as five Indian players have reportedly refused to play against a Pakistan team featuring Shahid Afridi.

Afridi, a former Pakistan captain, has previously made controversial remarks about India and visited military sites in Pakistan in a show of solidarity, which has not sat well with Indian fans or former players. He has also engaged in heated exchanges on social media with several Indian cricketers.

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According to a report by TelecomAsia.net, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, and Harbhajan Singh have informed the organisers of their unwillingness to play if Afridi is part of the opposition lineup.

The six-nation WCL tournament, which includes teams from India, Pakistan, Australia, West Indies, South Africa, and England, faced backlash on social media after announcing the India-Pakistan fixture. Fans from both nations questioned the timing of the match amid recent tensions.

The India-Pakistan match, scheduled for Sunday in Birmingham, would have marked the first cricket encounter between the two sides since the Pahalgam terror attack in April, which killed 26 people. India responded with Operation Sindoor, launching missile and drone strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan.

Despite the controversy, WCL organisers denied knowledge of any player boycott.

“All matches were scheduled with the consent of participating teams, and the India-Pakistan game is a sell-out,” an organiser told TelecomAsia.net. “As far as we know, the game is still on.”

India Legends won the inaugural WCL last year, defeating Pakistan in the final. Afridi, along with the five Indian players now in question, featured in that edition.