Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi has finally spoken up about the cancelled India vs Pakistan Champions clash in the WCL 2025, which was scheduled for 20 July in Birmingham. The match was called off after several India Champions players pulled out of the highly-anticipated fixture. The last-minute withdrawals forced organisers to cancel the game, sparking controversy on both sides.
Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Yusuf Pathan were among the first to withdraw. Their decision reportedly came after public backlash in India following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. While there was no official confirmation regarding these pullouts, veteran cricketer Shikhar Dhawan confirmed his stance via social media, stating that he would not participate due to the ongoing “geopolitical” tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam incident.
Speaking to the media, Afridi expressed his disappointment over the situation and urged both countries to separate politics from sport. “We are here to play cricket, and I’ve always said that cricket should be kept away from politics — it should move forward. A player should be a good ambassador, not a source of embarrassment for their country,” Afridi said.
He was particularly critical of the timing of the Indian players’ decision. “We’ve come here to play cricket. If [India] didn’twant to play against Pakistan, they should’ve refused before coming here. But now you’ve arrived, even held practice sessions, and then suddenly changed everything in a single day.”
Despite the setback, Pakistan Champions owner Kamil Khan confirmed that the tournament would go on without any disruptions.
“All the remaining matches are taking place. The tournament is going on as per schedule, and there are no changes. As for the semifinals and final, we’re currently saying that if we make it to the semifinals, there will be four teams, and we will avoid matches between the two teams,” he said. “If we reach the final, then the decisions regarding that will be made then. And as for this match, the two points will be awarded to us, and we deserve those points as per the rules.”
Afridi also spoke about the larger purpose of sport in promoting unity. “Sports bring people closer, but if politics gets involved in everything, how will we move forward? Until we sit together and discuss issues, nothing will improve — lack of communication only makes things worse. We’ve come here to play cricket, to have one-on-one interactions and friendly conversations. But sometimes, there’s one bad egg that spoils everything for everyone else.”
Some media reports hinted that Afridi’s own recent comments after the Pahalgam attack may have influenced the boycott. The 48-year-old had made a controversial anti-India remark in the aftermath of the attack, which was reportedly carried out by the Resistance Front, an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Reacting to the allegation, Afridi said: “If I had known the match was being stopped because of me, I wouldn’t have even gone to the ground. But cricket should go on. What is Shahid Afridi in front of cricket? Nothing. The game comes first. As a sport, cricket is the biggest thing. Bringing politics into it or an Indian cricketer saying he won’t play against Pakistan — then don’t play, just sit out. But sports is bigger, cricket is bigger, and it’s bigger than Shahid Afridi too.”
That said, Afridi’s attempt to justify the cancellation of the WCL clash feels both delusional and hollow — especially in light of his recent remarks about India following the Pahalgam terror attack. Afridi’s sudden appeal to “sportsmanship” feels disingenuous. His defence doesn’t just fall flat — it rings of deep hypocrisy.
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