A cricket match between Indian and Pakistani veteran players — part of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) — was called off after Indian players, including Shikhar Dhawan, refused to play against Pakistan, citing recent “geopolitical tensions” between the two nations, according to a statement issued by WCL on Sunday.

The WCL is an international cricket league where retired, non-contracted international players return to competitive T20 cricket, according to the league’s website. The tournament commenced on July 18 and is being held in Birmingham, England.

In a statement posted on X, WCL organisers announced that, “We have decided to call off the India vs Pakistan match,” saying that the match between the two countries was planned in light of recent positive development between India and Pakistan, indicating improved bilateral sporting ties.

The statement cited a recent volleyball match between the rival nations and speculations around Pakistan’s hockey team touring India later this year.

On Friday, Pakistan beat India 3-0 in the Asian Men’s U-16 Volleyball Championship semi-final being held in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand.

Earlier this month, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that Pakistan is to review the security situation in India before taking a call on sending its hockey teams to the neighbouring country for the Asia Cup and Junior World Cup to be held later this year.

The decision to cancel the WCL match came after former Indian players, including veteran cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, refused to play against Pakistan. Dhawan posted a statement on his X account, showing a screenshot of an email sent to notify of his withdrawal from the match.

One of the sponsors of the tournament, an Indian travel company, also said in a statement posted on X that it “will not be associated with or participate in any WCL match involving Pakistan”.

The league’s statement cited the “current geopolitical situation and prevailing tensions between India and Pakistan” as the reasons for withdrawal.

WCL, in its statement, apologised for “hurting” people’s sentiments and causing discomfort to Indian players for WCL’s decision to hold the match in the first place.

The match — scheduled for Sunday (today) — was to be the first between the two nations in the tournament. The Pakistani team is being led by Mohammed Hafeez, while Yuvraj Singh is leading the Indian side.

According to WCL’s website, the tournament is set to run until August 2 with participation from England, India, Pakistan, Australia, the West Indies and South Africa.

WCL will be held across four English cities — Birmingham, Northampton, Leeds and Leicester.

Reacting to the development, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman condemned the cancellation: “Indian cricketers, following in [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi’s footsteps by refusing to play against Pakistan, have turned sports into hatred.”

“Defeat on the battlefield, failure in diplomacy, and now fleeing from sports, India faces embarrassment on every front,” Rehman, who was part of a delegation that conveyed Pakistan’s stance on the recent conflict with India, said in a post on X.

“The hate-filled and prejudiced behaviour of Indian players reflects their Modi-worshipping mindset.”

“Sports are ambassadors of peace, tolerance, and mutual respect, but India has demonstrated narrow-mindedness here as well. The Modi government shudders at the mere mention of Pakistan, and their players choose to flee the field,” Rehman quipped.

She stressed that Indians’ “hate-driven agenda rather than sportsmanship poses a threat to regional peace and the spirit of sports”.

In May, Pakistan and India stepped back from an all-out war after a four-day military confrontation — the worst in decades — in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam attack in India-occupied Kashmir. New Delhi blamed Pakistan for the attack without evidence, launching Operation Sindoor. Islamabad has strongly denied the accusations.

During the conflict, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir had called for a complete halt to cricketing engagements with Pakistan at any forum.

The recent tensions also briefly cast a shadow on this year’s Asia Cup, with speculation that India would pull out of the Asia Cup. However, the two teams are expected to face each other in the tournament in September this year.