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Semifinal Called Off, India Unable to Compete
Semifinal Called Off, India Unable to Compete
India has withdrawn from a semifinal clash in the World Championship of Legends tournament featuring retired players.
The World Championship of Legends semifinal between India and Pakistan, set for Thursday (July 31) in Birmingham, was called off after the Indian team refused to play. The organisers gave Pakistan a walkover, and they’ll now play in the final.
India had already skipped playing Pakistan in the league stage, mainly because of Shahid Afridi being part of the Pakistani team. The same reason seems to have led to their decision to avoid the semifinal.
This move comes during a time of strong anti-Pakistan sentiment in India. The BCCI is facing backlash for planning the Asia Cup, where India and Pakistan might clash up to three times. Tensions rose further after India conducted a military operation in May in response to a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam.
Earlier on Wednesday, sponsor EaseMyTrip pulled out of the match. They said they won't support any games involving Pakistan, and that this stance had been made clear when they signed on to sponsor the tournament.
The India Champions squad includes Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Stuart Binny, Yusuf, Irfan Pathan, and Piyush Chawla. Dhawan recently posted that he wouldn't play against Pakistan either.
India had reached the semis after beating the West Indies, while the other semifinal between South Africa and Australia is also set for Thursday.