Latest news with #WorldChampionshipOfLegends
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Business
- Arab News
Cricket's on and off field developments threaten potential long-term consequences
There is so much happening in cricket at the moment, both on and off the pitch, that it is difficult to determine which aspect has the most long-term relevance. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport England's men's five match Test series against India resumed at Old Trafford, Manchester, on July 23 with the fourth Test. Tensions and tempers ran high in the previous match at Lords, where issues of quality with the Dukes-manufactured cricket balls loomed large. It remains to be seen whether these issues spill over to Manchester and to relations between the two teams in future. Dukes have undertaken to conduct a thorough review of the offending products. Their longer-term future may be in jeopardy. In terms of relations between teams and countries, those involving India and Pakistan show few signs of mellowing. Evidence of this emerged during the World Championship of Legends tournament being played in England between July 18 and Aug. 4. India and Pakistan were scheduled to face each other at Edgbaston on July 20. A combination of player withdrawals, sponsor disengagement and unfavorable public views expressed on social media led to organizers cancelling the match — the announcement of which came only the day before it was due to be played. Last year, the corresponding match attracted 20,000 spectators; a year on, recent hostilities have percolated so far down the chain to involve retired players. Former prominent Indian cricketers chose not to play, with Shikhar Dhawan saying he had taken the decision on May 11, putting country 'above all else.' The tournament sponsor, Indian company EaseMyTrip which has a five-year agreement, officially announced it had told the tournament team from the beginning it 'does not support or promote any match featuring Pakistan.' This was an extraordinarily strong stance which reinforced public sentiment. The situation has been further muddied by rumors the Pakistan team is not willing to share the points on the basis that the match was abandoned because the Indian side withdrew. How the deteriorating relations spill over into matches between the national teams of both countries remains to be seen. News about the men's Asia Cup has been silent for the last three weeks. Hopes were raised it might be hosted in the UAE, rather than the nominated host country India, in early to mid-September. The AGM of the Asia Cricket Council, at which the Asia Cup should be discussed, has been scheduled for Dhaka on July 24-25. Even this has created tensions. It is understood Mohsin Naqvi, chair of both the ACC and the Pakistan Cricket Board, as well as being Pakistan's interior minister, invited the Bangladesh Cricket Board to host the meeting. There are current political tensions between India and Bangladesh and a six match white ball series between them, set for August, has recently been rescheduled. It was no surprise to learn the Board of Control for Cricket in India initially objected to the choice of venue and indicated it would not send a representative. This view may well have been shared by other ACC members, who may not wish to run the risk of upsetting the BCCI. At least three representatives of the five Asian Test playing nations need to be present to achieve a quorum. One assumes Bangladesh is in favor, along with Pakistan. If India is not, pressure is placed on Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The ACC constitution also requires the presence of at least 10 full non-test playing nations or associate members in order to be quorate. There are ten of each category and doubts were expressed about their keenness to participate in sufficient quantity. Nevertheless, Naqvi refused to yield on the venue. It can be assumed there have been strenuous behind the scenes diplomatic maneuvers in the last few days to avert a stand-off. The latest indications are that the AGM will go ahead with virtual attendance by some boards and probably a reduced agenda. It is very much in Pakistan's interest that the Asia Cup takes place because, unlike the cash-rich BCCI, it needs the income, estimated at around $14 million. Naqvi may not have helped matters by being unable to attend the ICC AGM in Singapore between July 17-20 as it clashed with an official visit to Afghanistan in his ministerial role, although he did join virtually. Those present discussed matters ranging from the governance of cricket in the USA to new members and support for displaced women cricketers of Afghan descent, many of whom are in Australia. Cricket's administrators have been criticized for a lack of action in respect of these women. An ICC working group reported on a program designed to deliver support through high-performance initiatives, domestic playing opportunities and engagement at key ICC global events. These may include the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 in India and the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 in England. A priority for the ICC is to ensure USA Cricket has appropriate governance structures in place in the build up to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, when cricket will feature for the first time since 1900. USA Cricket has been plagued by persistent governance and legal issues for years, something which concerns the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which has yet to designate USA Cricket as the national governing body for cricket in the US. Such a body is required in order to field teams at the Olympics. A year ago, the ICC issued a suspension notice to USA Cricket pending comprehensive governance reforms, which included the completion of free and fair elections. These have not yet been enacted and the ICC has extended its period of notice by a further three months, adding it reserves the right to take such actions as it deems appropriate. If USA Cricket is still deemed non-compliant then it could be suspended and, ultimately, face expulsion as a member. A brighter note, at least for the England and Wales Cricket Board, was confirmation of it being awarded hosting rights for the ICC World Test Championship Finals for 2027, 2029 and 2031. Two new members — Timor-Leste Cricket Federation and Zambia Cricket Union — were announced as ICC Associate members, taking the total to 110. Timor-Leste becomes the 10th Associate member of the East Asia Pacific region and is the first to join since the Philippines in 2003. In Zambia's case, it represents a return to the fold after being expelled in 2021 due to administrative and organizational issues. Africa now has 22 ICC members with the prospect of an increase in future. Burkina Faso, Mauritius and Burundi are all planning to submit relevant paperwork to the ICC's membership committee before a December deadline. These moves underpin the ICC's strategy to expand cricket's global reach and to make cricket more inclusive globally. Each should bring longer term benefits and be applauded. It is less clear how the geo-political tensions at the top of the game will play out. There is a fear Pakistan may become isolated. If so, this would only serve to strengthen India's control over world cricket. The outcome of the ACC AGM may provide further evidence of how this power is being wielded.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
WCL organisers call off India-Pakistan legends match
Listen to article A highly anticipated match between Pakistan and India in the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL) was cancelled on Sunday due to escalating tensions between the two countries, tournament organisers confirmed. In a statement issued in Birmingham, the WCL management expressed regret over the cancellation of the fixture, which was scheduled to take place today. While no specific reason was cited, the organisers acknowledged the disappointment caused to fans and shared details of the decision in a post on social media platform X. 'After hearing the news that the Pakistan hockey team will be coming to India this year, and seeing the recent India vs Pakistan volleyball match along with a few other fixtures between the two nations in different sports, we thought of continuing with the India vs Pakistan match at WCL, just to create some happy memories for people around the globe," the statement read. Dear all , — World Championship Of Legends (@WclLeague) July 19, 2025 "But maybe in the process, we ended up hurting the feelings of many and stirring emotions," the organisers added, while also apologising for 'unintentionally causing discomfort' to Indian cricket legends. 'Hence, we have decided to call off the India-Pakistan match. We sincerely apologise again for hurting sentiments and hope people will understand that all we ever wanted was to bring a few happy moments to the fans.' Fans who purchased tickets for the match have been assured full refunds, the statement said. Read More: Shastri makes bold prediction about Rahul According to sources, tensions escalated after an alleged demand was made to exclude former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi from the playing XI. Indian players Shikhar Dhawan and Harbhajan Singh reportedly opposed playing the match, leading to further friction. Indian media outlets also questioned the necessity of staging the match under the current geopolitical climate, prompting organisers to call it off. The second edition of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)-sanctioned tournament, began on July 18 at Edgbaston. The Pakistan team, captained by Shahid Afridi, features former stars including Younis Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, and Kamran Akmal. The side, led by Mohammad Hafeez in their opening match, had earlier defeated England. India Champions are led by World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh and include notable names such as Dhawan, Harbhajan, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, and Varun Aaron. The rest of the tournament will continue as per schedule. Each of the six participating teams will play each other once before the top four proceed to the semi-finals on July 31, with the final set for August 2. Matches will be played across Birmingham, Northampton, Leicester, and Leeds. However, it remains unclear what the organisers will decide if India and Pakistan are to meet again in the knockout stages. Also Read: Tehran says air defence systems restored after Israel conflict Relations between the two countries remain strained. Following a terror attack in Pahalgam in April, tensions have flared, briefly affecting the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL). India does not engage in bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan, with cricket encounters between the two sides now limited to ICC tournaments such as the World Cup and Champions Trophy. A hybrid hosting model was introduced during this year's Champions Trophy, where India played its matches in Dubai while the rest of the tournament was held in Pakistan. A similar model is in place for the upcoming Women's ODI World Cup, with Pakistan scheduled to play all its matches in Colombo, as India and Sri Lanka co-host the event. Meanwhile, uncertainty surrounds the men's Asia Cup, tentatively scheduled for September in T20 format, as the venue for a potential India-Pakistan clash has yet to be confirmed.
India.com
4 days ago
- Sport
- India.com
After ‘Operation Sindoor', India vs Pakistan called off due to…
Shikhar Dhawan India and Pakistan were scheduled to face-off in the World Championship of Legends cricket match in Birmingham on Sunday. However, the match has been cancelled following the refusal of Indian players, including Shikhar Dhawan, to participate in the match due to the Pahalgam terror attack in April. The second edition of the tournament kicked off on June 18 at Edgbaston and will be concluded on August 2. The India legends are captained by World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh and the team also have Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa and Varun Aaron, among others. WCL organisers issues statement, says their intent was to create 'Happy memories' The WCL organisers issued a statement on their X account, and shared the decision of cancellation, while they also said that their intent while playing the match was to create some happy memories. 'After hearing the news that the Pakistan hockey team will be coming to India this year, and seeing the recent India vs Pakistan volleyball match along with a few other fixtures between the two nations in different sports, we thought of continuing with the India vs Pakistan match at WCL, just to create some happy memories for people around the globe.' the WCL statement read 'But maybe in the process, we ended up hurting the feelings of many and stirring emotions,' the statement further read Dear all , — World Championship Of Legends (@WclLeague) July 19, 2025 Shikhar Dhawan backs out of India vs Pakistan match Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan, has withdrawn from the highly-anticipated India vs Pakistan match in the World Championship of Legends 2025, which was due to take place on Sunday at Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham. Dhawan cited the Pahalgam terror attack as the reason for backing out of all matches against Pakistan, on social media. 'Jo kadam 11 May ko liya, uspe aaj bhi waise hi khada hoon. Mera desh mere liye sab kuch hai, aur desh se badhkar kuch nahi hota (The decision I took on May 11, I stand by it even today. My country means everything to me, and nothing is above the nation)' Dhawan said in a statement Jo kadam 11 May ko liya, uspe aaj bhi waise hi khada hoon. Mera desh mere liye sab kuch hai, aur desh se badhkar kuch nahi hota. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳 — Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) July 19, 2025 He had previously cleared his stance on May 11, stating he would participate in the tournament, but would not play in any matches against Pakistan. 'Dear Team, I trust this email finds you well. This is to fomally reiterate and confirm that Mr. Shikhar Dhawan will not be participating in any matches against the Pakistan team in the upcoming WCL League. This decision was communicated earlier during our discussion on call and WhatsApp dated 11th May 2025,' Dhawan's official statement read The Pahalgam terror attack took place on April 22 and left 26 civilians dead outside of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, and the attack was initially claimed by The Resistance Front which is part of the Lashkar-e-Taiba. India's WCL squad Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Piyush Chawla, Stuart Binny, Varun Aaron, Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun, Siddarth Kaul, Gurkeerat Singh Maan.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
"Heard Pak Hockey Team Coming To India...": WCL Organisers On Reason Behind India vs Pakistan Match
The India vs Pakistan veterans' match in the World Championship of Legends, scheduled to be held in Birmingham on Sunday, had to be cancelled after Indian players, including Shikhar Dhawan, refused to be a part of it, citing the Pahalgam terror attack in April. Though Dhawan had explained his stance on the matter to the organisers in May, he reiterated on Saturday that his decision on the topic hasn't changed. After multiple other Indian veterans like Harbhajan Singh and Pathan brothers also took a similar stance, the organisers had no option but to cancel the contest. Taking to social media, the WCL organisers explained the logic behind scheduling an India vs Pakistan match despite the tense political relations between the two countries. In a post, the organisers said that it was the recent volleyball match between the two countries and the forthcoming hockey contest, which will see Pakistan visiting India, that convinced them to take this decision. "We at WCL have always cherished and loved cricket, and our only aim has been to give fans some good, happy moments. After hearing the news that the Pakistan hockey team will be coming to India this year, and seeing the recent India vs Pakistan volleyball match along with a few other fixtures between the two nations in different sports, we thought of continuing with the India vs Pakistan match at WCL – just to create some happy memories for people around the globe," WCL said in a post on X. Dear all , — World Championship Of Legends (@WclLeague) July 19, 2025 "But maybe in the process, we ended up hurting the feelings of many and stirring emotions," the WCL statement read. The organisers also apologised for "unintentionally causing discomfort" to Indian legends. "Hence, we have decided to call off the India-Pakistan match. We sincerely apologise again for hurting the sentiments and hope people will understand that all we ever wanted was to bring a few happy moments to the fans," it read. India had defeated Pakistan by five wickets to win the inaugural edition of the six-team legends tournament last year in Edgbaston. World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh is the captain of the India legends, while the squad also features the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa and Varun Aaron among others.
India.com
5 days ago
- Sport
- India.com
India Vs Pakistan Clash In WCL 2025 Called Off After Indian Legends Withdraw In Protest
The World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 has seen its most high-profile fixture, the India vs Pakistan clash, officially canceled following a mass withdrawal by former Indian players. Veteran cricketers including Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Yusuf Pathan, and Irfan Pathan publicly opted out of the match, expressing discomfort over participating in a fixture involving Pakistan, particularly in light of recent terror-related incidents in India. Shikhar Dhawan, who played a key role in raising the issue, shared a screenshot of an email dated May 11, in which he informed tournament officials of his unwillingness to participate in matches involving Pakistan. Reinforcing his decision via social media, Dhawan stated, 'Desh se badhkar kuch nahi hota', meaning 'Nothing is greater than the nation.' The decision sparked immediate public and media support. Shortly afterward, other Indian players followed suit, strengthening the protest and making the staging of the match virtually impossible. Sponsors React The patriotic stand taken by the players found backing from one of the tournament's major sponsors, EaseMyTrip. The company released a statement saying it would no longer support any fixture involving the Pakistan team in the WCL, despite being under a long-term sponsorship contract. The company emphasized that national sentiment outweighs commercial interest. WCL Organizers Issue Apology Faced with growing pressure and unable to assemble a complete Indian squad for the marquee encounter, the WCL 2025 organizers made the call to cancel the India–Pakistan game. A formal statement expressed regret over any emotional distress caused, adding that the remaining tournament fixtures would proceed as scheduled. 'We understand and deeply respect the emotions involved. Our goal was never to hurt public sentiment. WCL will continue, but we will not go forward with this particular match,' read the official announcement. Dear all , — World Championship Of Legends (@WclLeague) July 19, 2025 Impact Beyond the Game The cancellation of the India vs Pakistan Legends match is more than just a sporting development; it highlights the powerful relationship between cricket, patriotism, and public emotion in the subcontinent. With players and sponsors aligning on ethical grounds, the incident sets a precedent for how sports organizations may need to balance business, diplomacy, and emotion in the future. #BigImpact : DNA ___ ____ __ '___ __ ____', __ ZEE NEWS __ _____ #PahalgamYaPakistan __ ____ ____ ___, ___ ___ ___ __ ____ _________ ______ ____ @ZEENEWS __ _____ ____ ____ ____ __ _________ __ ___ ___ _______, ______ __________ __ ________ ___ __ ___ _____ ______ __________ ___ — Zee News (@ZeeNews) July 20, 2025 What's Next for WCL 2025? The rest of the WCL 2025 will continue as per the updated schedule, featuring teams from Australia, England, South Africa, the West Indies, and more. While the India vs Pakistan clash will be missed, the tournament still promises high-quality action from retired cricket legends.
