Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has delivered a scathing rebuke of India’s decision to withdraw from their World Championship of Legends (WCL) fixture against Pakistan, challenging them to maintain the same stance at marquee ICC tournaments and beyond.
The highly anticipated legends clash, scheduled for July 20 in Birmingham, was called off after several senior Indian players—including Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Yusuf and Irfan Pathan—withdrew in the wake of public backlash tied to a terror attack in Pahalgam earlier this year. The decision drew criticism not only from fans and media but also from former Pakistan stars, with Salman Butt now taking the most hardline view.
“Don’t play in the World Cup… not even the Olympics”: Butt dares India
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Butt questioned the broader implications of India’s withdrawal from the WCL match and accused them of sending the wrong message to the cricketing world.
“The whole world is talking about them – what message have they sent to cricket as a whole and to the fans? What are you trying to show? What are you trying to prove? Now don’t play in the World Cup…don’t play against us in any ICC tournament. Make this a promise. See, we understand that everything has its own place. But now that you are interlinking, don’t play against us at any level or tournament. Not even the Olympics. Please do that. I would love to see. The stakes would be high, and I’d see how much nationalism they can show at that level,” Salman Butt said on his YouTube channel.
Butt accuses senior players of creating “pressure” within the Indian team
While Butt acknowledged that players have the right to make personal decisions, he was critical of the influence wielded by senior Indian figures who chose not to participate in the match. He suggested their decision had a ripple effect on others.
“What is this mindset? I just can’t understand. Who is making this decision? Those 4-5 people who decided not to play, because of them, others, who probably had the mindset to play, felt pressured,” Salman Butt said on his YouTube channel.
According to reports, multiple players in the India Champions squad—led by Yuvraj Singh—pulled out after public pressure over participating in a match against Pakistan, given recent geopolitical tensions. Organizers later apologized for the unintended discomfort caused.
“We will keep reminding them”: Butt warns of future scrutiny
Butt closed his remarks by asserting that Pakistan would not let the incident fade from memory. He warned that if India returns to competing against Pakistan in future ICC events, their consistency and credibility will be questioned.
“Keep this intact, because we will keep reminding them of this,” Salman Butt said on his YouTube channel.
The second edition of the WCL, co-owned by Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn, is currently underway in the UK, featuring retired stars from across the globe. While the India-Pakistan contest was billed as one of the tournament’s highlights, its abrupt cancellation has overshadowed the event and intensified already fraught cricketing relations between the two nations.
