 "Shahid Afridi's dig at Indian players before WCL 2025 semi-final boycott: 'Don’t know with what face...'")
Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi appeared to take a jibe at the Indian team taking part in the ongoing World Championship of Legends after the semi-final clash between the two arch-rivals was called off due to recent political tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations.
Current trophy holders India Champions opted to relinquish the title than face Pakistan Champions in the first of the two semi-finals on Thursday, having narrowly secured a top-four finish in the six-team event with a victory over West Indies Champions in the final group match of the event.
On the eve of their showdown on Thursday, Afridi made a pointed remarked that apparently was directed at the Indian team while speaking at an event in Birmingham. India had opted to boycott their group-stage match against Pakistan earlier in the tournament, and maintained their stance even as the tournament entered the knockout phase.
“Pata nehi India kis muh se khelega magar khelega humare sath hi (Don’t know with what face India will play, but they’ll end up playing with us only),” Afridi had said at the event.
Watch:
India Champions’ boycott backed by WCL’s primary sponsor
India Champions, led by iconic all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, had boycotted their match against Pakistan due to the recent military conflict between the two nations that took place in the aftermath of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
The Indian team’s stance, additionally, had received support from EaseMyTrip , the WCL’s primary sponsor.
“We applaud Team India @India_Champions for their outstanding performance in the World Championship of Legends, you’ve made the nation proud. However, the upcoming semi-final against Pakistan is not just another game, Terror and cricket cannot go hand in hand,” EaseMyTrip co-founder Nishant Pitti wrote on X on Wednesday.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsSemi - Finals Update ! pic.twitter.com/lTmh3j0sSP
— World Championship Of Legends (@WclLeague) July 30, 2025
Pakistan Champions, who had suffered a five-wicket loss at the hands of the Indian team in last year’s final, are set to face South Africa Champions in the summit clash on Saturday.
While the Pakistanis advanced as a result of India's boycott , the AB de Villiers-led Proteas defeated Australia Champions by 1 run in a thrilling second semi-final after setting Brett Lee’s men 187 to win.
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