Because of the tense political ties between the two nations, the Indian Champions declined to face the Pakistan Champions in their World Championship of Legends semi-final. The game was scheduled to take place in Birmingham on Thursday. South Africa, who defeated Australian champions in the second semi-final, will now face the Pakistani champions in the championship match.
Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Yusuf Pathan, and Robin Uthappa are among the players on the India Champions team who had also declined to play their group match against the Pakistan Champions on July 20.
Although the teams had split points on that particular occasion, the Pakistani champions advanced to the final as the Indian champions declined to participate in the semi-final due to their nine-point group-winning performance. With three points, the India Champions were in fourth place. Fans who bought semi-final tickets will receive a 50% refund, according to the event organizers.
Although the India Champions have not yet released an official statement, an insider told The Times of India that the players chose to withdraw from the semifinal in order to prioritize their nation’s honor over their sporting commitments.
“We are not playing against Pakistan (in semis). Our country and nation will always be at the top for us, and then anything. India ke liye kuch bhi. We are proud members of the Indian team. We have struggled and worked hard to put the Indian flag on our shirts, and we earned it. We will never let our country down, no matter what. Bharat Mata ki jai,” the insider said on condition of anonymity.
It was also made clear that the players would have remained true to their decision even if they had played Pakistan in the championship match.
“Even if we had entered the final and faced Pakistan, we all would have done the same. We all Indians are on the same page,” the insider added.
The sporting relations between the two neighboring countries deteriorated after the Pahalgam event on April 22 and the subsequent military conflict.
Since then, India and Pakistan have not played any international cricket matches, but on September 14, the men’s sides are scheduled to meet in the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates. The women’s teams from India and Pakistan will play in the ICC ODI World Cup in Colombo on October 6.
