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India - Pakistan WCL 2025 match called off, organizers issue apology for hurting sentiments

India - Pakistan WCL 2025 match called off, organizers issue apology for hurting sentiments

Mint2 days ago
World Championship of Legends (WCL) organisers have officially confirmed that the India vs Pakistan match in the league has been called off, issuing a public apology for hurting the sentiments and hopes of fans. India were scheduled to play Pakistan on July 20 (Sunday) at Edgbaston in Birmingham, starting from 9 PM IST.
In a statement posted on their X handle, WCL said the decision to schedule an India vs Pakistan match came after a recent volleyball match between the two countries, with the intention of creating happy memories for fans. The organisers acknowledged that this may have ended up hurting the feelings of many people and causing discomfort to the Indian legends.
Prior to the official cancellation, several Indian players, including Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, informed the media that they would not be playing the India vs Pakistan match.
Dhawan also shared an email he had written to the organisers, stating that the decision to not play Pakistan had been communicated on May 11 due to the geo-political situation.
"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 standby the decision I took on May 11. My country is everything for me and nothing is bigger than the country)" Dhawan wrote in his post.
EaseMyTrip, one of the official sponsors of the tournament, has also issued an official statement on the matter, clarifying that despite entering into a 5 year sponsorship agreement with the WCL, it will not associate or participate in any match involving Pakistan.
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