"I Love India, I Love...": Brett Lee On India vs Pakistan Champions Match Cancellation
The denial of Indian players to feature against Pakistan stems from the heinous terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam on April 22. Following the attack, the relationship between India and Pakistan slumped and hit a new low.
Lee was quizzed about his views on the match between the two fierce rivals being called off. While addressing the "tough question", the former speedster maintained a neutral stance.
"That is a tough question. But the thing I'll say right is, I love India, I love Pakistan. So I hope that they can get to a discretion where they can appreciate themselves. But most importantly, we are here on a tournament. So Australia versus India versus South Africa. We are all inclusive. So what happened last night is what happened. We pushed for it," Lee, who is representing Australia Champions, told reporters in a press conference.
WCL claimed that it had announced the India-Pak fixture after a recent volleyball match between the two countries to create happy memories for fans. However, the move backfired, and the league acknowledged in its statement that the decision may have ended up hurting the feelings of many and causing discomfort to the Indian legends.
In response, a decision was made to call off the fixture. WCL further apologised for any hurt sentiments. Dhawan shared an email written to the tournament organisers, where he stated that the decision not to play Pakistan had been communicated to the organisers on May 11. The email mentioned that the decision not to play Pakistan was made in consideration of the current geo-political situation.
In his post on X, Dhawan said, "Jo kadam 11 May ko liya, uspe aaj bhi waise hi khada hoon. Mera desh mere liye sab kuch hai, aur desh se badhkar kuch nahi hota." (I stand by the decision I took on May 11. My country is everything to me, and nothing is bigger than the country.)
In the previous edition of the WCL, India Champions trounced Pakistan to secure a five-wicket victory in the final. India gunned down a 157-run target with a blistering batting display to lift the title.
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