WCL 2025: Shahid Afridi Cries ‘Cricket Away From Politics’ After India Champions Exit Pakistan Clash

Shahid Afridi expressed disappointment over India Champions' WCL withdrawal, urging cricket to be kept away from politics. He questioned the timing, noting India had arrived and practiced before pulling out just a day ahead of the Pakistan clash.

Pakistan Champions captain Shahid Afridi broke his silence after India Champions, led by Yuvraj Singh, decided to pull out of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 clash against arch-rivals at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

The Indian Legends’ team was scheduled to take on Pakistan at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday, July 20. However, just a day before the clash, several former Indian cricketers, including Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Pathan brothers, Shikhar Dhawan, and others, opted to withdraw from the match following severe backlash and criticism from the Indian public over their agreement to play Pakistan, especially in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Following massive outrage, the third match of the ongoing WCL season between India and Pakistan was eventually called off, with organizers of the tournament issuing an apology for ‘hurting the sentiments’ of Indian cricket fans, acknowledging the emotional weight of the situation.

‘Cricket should be kept away from politics’

After the Indian Champions’ withdrawal from the WCL clash against Pakistan, Shahid Afridi opened up about his disappointment, urging that cricket should be kept away from politics, adding that players should be ambassadors of the game.

“We are here to play cricket, and I've always said that cricket should be kept away from politics; it should move forward,” the former Pakistan captain said.

“A player should be a good ambassador, not a source of embarrassment for their country," he added.

The fixtures of the World Championship of Legends 2025 were announced a week before the tournament.

The tournament features a total of 18 matches to be played across four venues in the United Kingdom, including Edgbaston, Northampton, Leicester, and Leeds, with the clash between India and Pakistan scheduled as one of the marquee encounters in the league phase.

‘We've come here to play cricket’

Shahid Afridi further expressed his disappointment over the Indian legends’ last-minute withdrawal from the match against Pakistan.

"We've come here to play cricket. If they [India] didn't want to play against Pakistan, they should've refused before coming here, “ Afridi said.

“But now you've arrived, even held practice sessions, and then suddenly changed everything in a single day," he added.

Meanwhile, one of the sponsors of WCL, Ease My Trip, made their decision clear that they would not associate with Pakistan in any form, despite entering a 5-year agreement with the tournament.

Shahid Afridi made a controversial comment against the Indian Army

As Shahid Afridi calls for ‘cricket away from politics’, a former Pakistan captain made a controversial comment against the Indian Army following the Pahalgam terror attack.

Five days after the terrorists' attack in Pahalgam, Afridi called the Indian Army ‘useless’ and ‘inefficient’ for their inability to protect the people of Kashmir.

“You have an 800,000-strong army in Kashmir, and this still happened. It means you are inefficient and useless if you can't provide security to the people,” Afridi told Pakistani news channel Samaa TV on April 27.

His statement sparked outrage across India, with former cricketers, including Shikhar Dhawan, who slammed Shahid Afridi and reminded him of the 1999 Kargil War, where the Indian Army bravely defended the nation and pushed back Pakistani intruders.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack, there have been growing calls for boycotting any sporting engagements with Pakistan.