Following a number of players withdrawing from the match against Pakistan in the second season of the World Championship of Legends, which led the organizers to call off Sunday's game in Birmingham, former Pakistan fast bowler Abdur Rauf Khan launched a scathing attack against the India Champions squad on Monday. India's championship defense was set to start with the game, having won the trophy in the first season the previous year by defeating Pakistan.

Following public outrage over their change in position on Pakistan, just months after criticizing the Pahalgam terror attack, players like Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan and Yusuf Pathan, and Shikhar Dhawan are said to have pulled out of the game at Edgbaston.

The game between India and Pakistan was canceled on Sunday by the WCL, which also expressed regret for unintentionally causing pain to Indian legends.

After their performance, Rauf questioned the hypocrisy of the seasoned Indian players and gave them no quarter.

You give the impression to the public that you won't play each other, but behind the scenes you go shopping and travel together, which is unjust. They hang out together, eat together, party together, so why do they put on a different front when it comes to playing a game? Rauf questioned.

"It's not only Pakistani players who feel it; Indian players do as well. We are friends off the field, having shared dressing rooms, played together, ate together, gone shopping on tours, and stayed in each other's hotel rooms. To then portray such a hard divide to the public, such as "we won't play them," which generates needless excitement.

The truth, however, is quite different "behind the scenes." The supporters, who arrive with such passion and enthusiasm, are ultimately let down. Cricket doesn't benefit from it. The game and its supporters deserve a better treatment.

The Pahalgam attack severely harmed the relationship between India and Pakistan in the field of cricket. The BCCI is still awaiting government approval for the next Asia Cup tournament, which is set to take place in India later this year, and it is now in doubt as a result. On the other hand, on the world scene, it was announced in May 2025 that the ICC is expected to maintain India and Pakistan in separate groups beginning with the 2026 T20 World Cup the following year.

The veteran of one T20I, four ODIs, and three Tests advised India to avoid bringing politics into sports.

"I've always maintained that politics and cricket should be kept apart. Cricket may be interrupted for a year or two due to tension, but games go on regardless after things return to normal. Why would you stop in the first place? Therefore, both governments should meet and sign an agreement ensuring the continuation of cricket and sports in spite of outside circumstances. "Sports should not suffer, even if political tensions come and go," he stated.

"This cannot be turned off for good. Although hostilities may persist for a year or two, the nations eventually reconcile. Consequently, why stop sports in the first place? For this reason, I think there should be a defined framework or agreement in place to guarantee continuity. Geographical realities will continue to create political concerns, but let sports breathe. Let it thrive," he said.

"There has been a long-standing problem between India and Pakistan. The situation occasionally worsens, but other times things get better. Cricket starts again when the relationship improves. When tensions increase, everything comes to a stop. Regrettably, the supporters are the ones that are hit the hardest. I think there ought to be a formal agreement stating that ICC-sanctioned events or bilateral competitions should go ahead uninterrupted, regardless of any political disputes.

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