Shahid Afridi Calls This Player ‘Rotten Egg’ After India Pulls Out Of WCL Clash Against Pakistan

India’s match against Pakistan at WCL 2025 was cancelled after Indian players, led by Shikhar Dhawan, opted out due to Shahid Afridi’s past anti-India remarks. Afridi blamed Dhawan, triggering controversy and disappointing fans expecting the high-voltage clash.

A highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan at the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 was called off on Sunday, July 20, following a major controversy involving former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi. Several Indian players reportedly opted out of the exhibition match, citing Afridi’s past comments against India during sensitive diplomatic moments, particularly following Operation Sindoor.

Afridi Calls Out Shikhar Dhawan for India’s No-Show

Speaking to the media on the scheduled match day, Afridi expressed disappointment over India’s withdrawal, directly blaming Shikhar Dhawan for influencing the decision. According to Afridi, Dhawan’s open refusal to play in the presence of Afridi led to a domino effect within the Indian camp.

"Sports brings countries closer. If politics comes between everything then how will you move forward? But you know, there is always one rotten egg, which spoils everything," Afridi told local reporters, taking a direct dig at Dhawan without naming him initially but later referring to him as the reason behind the fallout.

'Should Have Stayed Home': Afridi Lashes Out at India

Afridi went on to call Dhawan an “embarrassment” and suggested that the entire Indian team should have stayed back in India instead of pulling out at the last minute. "They trained a day before the match. I think that they pulled out just because of one guy. Even the Indian team is very disappointed. They were here to play," he added.

He further stated, “You should be a good ambassador for the country, not an embarrassment.”

Afridi’s Changing Tone: From Diplomatic to Derogatory

Interestingly, Afridi presented himself as a peace-loving cricket ambassador during the press conference. "I came here to play cricket, not politics. If they didn’t want to play because of me, I would have stayed home. Cricket should have continued. Who is Shahid Afridi in front of cricket? No one," he said.

However, this version of Afridi contradicted his controversial statement from April 2025, where he accused the Indian government of targeting its own citizens in Pahalgam to malign Pakistan. “India carries out terrorism itself, kills its own people, and then puts the blame on Pakistan,” he had claimed in a Pakistani press interaction.

Backlash on Social Media Influenced Decision

The cancellation of the India vs Pakistan match at Edgbaston was not solely based on internal team decisions. A massive uproar on Indian social media platforms erupted after the fixture was announced. Many questioned the ethics of former Indian players participating in a match involving Pakistani cricketers while tensions at the border remained high.

This was to be the first cricketing face-off between the two countries since Operation Sindoor, an Indian counter-terrorism operation that escalated diplomatic hostilities earlier this year.

Indian Players Express Discomfort with Afridi’s Presence

Sources close to the Indian camp revealed that several players expressed discomfort at sharing the field with Afridi after his remarks against India. Shikhar Dhawan, one of the senior-most players in the squad, took a public stand and declared that he would not take part in the fixture if Afridi was present.

The cancellation of this match is a significant setback to efforts aimed at reviving cricketing ties between the two nations. Organizers of WCL 2025 had pinned hopes on the India-Pakistan fixture to bring star power and crowd energy, especially since nearly 18,000 fans were expected to attend the match at Edgbaston.