Former Pakistan’s Match Fixture Salman Butt Criticizes India’s WCL 2025 Withdrawal, Demands Consistency Across ICC Events

Former Pakistan’s match fixture Salman Butt has slammed India’s decision to skip the high-voltage World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 match against Pakistan Champions, arguing that if India chooses not to play Pakistan in one tournament, the same approach should apply to ICC events.

The highly anticipated legends’ face-off, scheduled for Sunday, July 20 at Edgbaston, Birmingham, was abruptly called off. Multiple Indian players, including Shikhar Dhawan, reportedly opted out due to geopolitical tensions, leading to the cancellation of the match.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Butt didn’t hold back.

“The whole world is watching. What kind of message are they sending to global cricket fans? If you won’t play us here, then extend that policy to World Cups and ICC tournaments. Don’t play us anywhere—not even the Olympics,” he said sarcastically.

Butt also questioned the leadership within the India Champions setup.

“Who’s taking these decisions? If just 4-5 players refused, why did others have to follow? This seems more like peer pressure than principle,” he remarked.

The India Champions, led by Yuvraj Singh, feature prominent names like Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, and Shikhar Dhawan. In contrast, the Pakistan Champions, under Mohammad Hafeez, began their WCL 2025 campaign with a thrilling five-run win over England Champions.

The next match for Pakistan will be against South Africa Champions on July 25 at Grace Road, Leicester.

The WCL 2025, backed by the England and Wales Cricket Board and co-owned by Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn, kicked off on July 18 and will conclude with the final on August 2.