Shahid Afridi Calls Shikhar Dhawan a “Bad Egg” After India Pulls Out of WCL Clash Against Pakistan

The much-anticipated India vs Pakistan clash in the World Championship of Legends was called off on Sunday, sparking fresh debate over whether sports and politics can truly remain separate. While fans were gearing up to watch the high-voltage face-off, tensions behind the scenes had already been brewing for weeks.

The decision came after India Champions' opener Shikhar Dhawan firmly stated he would not be playing in any match against Pakistan during the tournament. Dhawan had communicated this stance to the organisers back in May, and just a day before the match, he doubled down on his decision. Taking to social media, he wrote, "Jo Kadam 11 May ko liya, uspe aaj bhi waise hi khada hoon. Mera desh mere liye sab kuch hai, aur desh se badhkar aur kuch nahi hota." (The decision I took on May 11, I still stand by it. My country is everything to me, and nothing is greater than the country.) 

Following his lead, several other Indian players, including Yuvraj Singh, Irfan and Yusuf Pathan, and Suresh Raina, also chose to step back from the fixture. With so many top Indian players unwilling to participate, the organizers were left with little choice but to cancel the match. 

The WCL organizers issued a statement explaining their intent behind scheduling the match. They had taken cues from recent signs of sporting diplomacy—such as the Pakistan hockey team's upcoming tour of India and an Under-16 volleyball match between the two nations. However, they acknowledged that the fixture may have caused discomfort, especially to the Indian legends, and called off the game in response. 

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi wasn’t too pleased with how things unfolded. Speaking to the media, he said, "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 also questioned the timing of India's withdrawal. "If (India) didn’t want 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," he remarked. 

If there hadn’t been a social media backlash,
Remember, my friend, this match would still be happening.
I would like to request you all for
The same old Facebook trend on
X each repost equals a slap for Shahid Afridi.
Secondly, Shahid Afridi said something in this… pic.twitter.com/MErWmMUtOk

— Akash Srivastava (@isrivastavas) July 21, 2025

In a veiled jab at Dhawan, Afridi even hinted that a single player's objection may have influenced the others, calling such individuals "bad eggs." Dhawan had first voiced his concerns about facing Pakistan in the tournament a couple of months ago and stood firm on his position throughout.  

The World Championship of Legends, now in its second edition, kicked off on July 18 in Birmingham. While Pakistan played the tournament’s opening game, Sunday’s clash was supposed to be India's debut match. Yuvraj Singh is leading the Indian side, while Mohammad Hafeez is captaining Pakistan. With six teams in the competition—India, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, England, and the West Indies—each side is scheduled to play the others once. The top four will advance to the semi-finals on July 31, followed by the final on August 2. Matches are being hosted in Birmingham, Northampton, Leicester, and Leeds. 

The burning question now is what will happen if India and Pakistan end up facing each other in a knockout game later in the tournament. Will the Indian players take the same stance again? Or will the possibility of lifting the trophy override political reservations? Time will tell.