Shahid Afridi Cites Vajpayee Amid WCL Boycott: 'IND-PAK Snub Embarrassing

In the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, the highly anticipated clash between India Champions and Pakistan Champions scheduled for July 20 at Edgbaston was abruptly cancelled. Multiple former Indian players—including Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan and Yusuf Pathan—pulled out citing the prevailing geopolitical tensions, especially after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Dhawan reportedly informed organisers as early as May 11 about his decision to opt out, stating his patriotic stance
Shahid Afridi, leading the Pakistan side, strongly reacted to the walkout. He reiterated that “cricket should be kept away from politics” and expressed dismay that the Indian players had even held a practice session before pulling out at the last minute. He scathingly remarked that “a player should be a good ambassador, not a source of embarrassment for their country.” He also used the now-famous phrase: “one bad egg spoils everything.
Afridi emphasized that if the players didn’t want to participate, they should have declined earlier rather than disrupting the event at the eleventh hour. He highlighted the spirit of sportsmanship and said that cricket should unite nations, not fuel division.