19-07-2025
Harbhajan Singh, Yusuf Pathan Boycott WCL 2025 Match Against Pakistan: Sources
Harbhajan Singh and Yusuf Pathan pulled out of a World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 match against Pakistan on Sunday, according to sources. This match is supposed to be the first clash between any cricket team of the two nations after the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025 that claimed 26 lives. The participation of former India stars, some of whom are members of World Cup winning sides, against a Pakistan team created a furore on social media. While both cricketers have not officially declared that they are not playing, it is being perceived that the Pahalgam attack and what followed in the aftermath had a bearing in their decision.
While Harbhajan is a Rajya Sabha member for Aam Aadmi Party, Yusuf is currently a Member of Parliament from the Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency for Trinamool Congress. Reports claimed that Irfan Pathan also opted out of the match, but nothing official has been confirmed.
India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series for more than 10 years due to the political tensions between the two teams. Things got worse after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor as the relations between India and Pakistan worsened. In the past, the two teams faced each other in ICC tournaments but as of now, questions remain over whether that will continue to the norm.
The WCL 2025 is a tournament featuring retired cricketers and it is being held in England.
India Champions Squad: Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Piyush Chawla, Stuart Binny, Varun Aaron, Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun, Siddarth Kaul, Gurkeerat Singh Maan.
