'Don't play against us in ICC tournaments, Olympics': Ex-Pakistan skipper on WCL controversy
has made a scathing attack on Yuvraj Singh-led India for refusing to play against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends (WCL).
The second edition of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) tournament, which is co-owned by Bollywood star
, started on June 18 at Edgbaston and is scheduled to conclude with the final on August 2.
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"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," Butt said on his YouTube channel.
World Cup winner
is the captain of the India Champions, while the squad also features the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, and Varun Aaron, among others.
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The Pakistan team includes captain Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Kamran Akmal, among a host of other yesteryear players.
The former Pakistan captain even asked India to boycott Pakistan in the Olympics as well.
'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.
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Should India play against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends?
Yes, it's a good opportunity for sportsmanship. No, political tensions should take precedence. Only if both teams agree on mutual terms. Not sure, need more information.
'What is this mindset? I just can't understand. Who is making this decision? Those 4–5 people who decided not to play – because of them, others, who probably had the mindset to play, felt pressured,' he added.
The WCL organisers shared a statement on their X account, detailing the decision of cancellation and said their intention in conducting the match was to recreate some "happy memories."
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'After hearing the news that the Pakistan hockey team will be coming to India this year, and seeing the recent India vs Pakistan volleyball match along with a few other fixtures between the two nations in different sports, we thought of continuing with the India vs Pakistan match at WCL, just to create some happy memories for people around the globe.
"But maybe in the process, we ended up hurting the feelings of many and stirring emotions," the WCL statement read.
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