Image Source: Agencies

July 31, 2025: Due to the Indian team's refusal to play Pakistan, their archrivals across the border, the World Championship of Legends semifinal scheduled for Thursday (July 31) in Birmingham was postponed. According to sources in promoters group, the match was awarded to the Pakistan side, who will play in the final.
The Indian players had also refused to play Pakistan in the league stage because they were unhappy with Shahid Afridi's inclusion in their team, and it is believed that they will do the same for the semifinal. The development occurs amid a significant uptick in anti-Pakistan sentiment throughout the nation. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has faced intense criticism for agreeing to host the Asia Cup, a tournament where India and Pakistan could potentially face off as many as three times. In May, India carried out a targeted, non-escalatory military operation - Operation Sindoor - in response to a gruesome terror attack in Pahalgam the previous month.
Earlier on Wednesday, a tournament sponsor announced its disassociation with the match. "Despite entering into a 5-year sponsorship agreement with the World Championship of Legends (WCL) two years ago, our stance has always been clear - EaseMyTrip will not be associated with or participate in any WCL match involving Pakistan.
"We continue to stand firmly behind our team and proudly support the India Champions. However, we do not support or promote any match that includes Pakistan on principle. This position was communicated unambiguously to the WCL team from the beginning.
The India Champions team includes, among others, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Stuart Binny, Shikhar Dhawan, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, and Piyush Chawla. A few days back, Dhawan, in an X post, had also reiterated his stance taken in May that he will not play in any matches against Pakistan.
The Indian Champions advanced to the semifinal by defeating the West Indies on Tuesday. South Africa and Australia are the other semifinalists who are also scheduled to face off on Thursday.