Main point:
Targeting India, former Pakistani captain Salman Butt said that if I cannot play against Pakistan in WCL, then ICC should not play in tournaments and Olympics. He accused senior Indian players of pressurizing and said that Pakistan will not forget it.
Delhi: Former Pakistani captain Salman Batt has questioned India’s decision in which some Indian players refused to play matches against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends (WCL). Salman Butt said that if India is so proud of its nationalism, then ICC should not play against Pakistan even in tournaments and Olympics.
Players like Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan and Harbhajan Singh, including India’s team captain Yuvraj Singh, were withdrawn from the match which was to be in Birmingham. This decision came when these players had to face criticism from the public as they had already condemned the Pahalgam attack on 22 April.
Salman Butt Gave statement
Reacting to his YouTube channel, Salman Batt said, “The whole world is watching. What message have you given to cricket and fans? If you are so nationalist, then do not play with Pakistan even in the World Cup, Asia Cup, ICC event or Olympics. I want to see how much you can play.”
He further said that the senior players who did not want to play, put pressure on the rest of the players. “Maybe some players want to play, but the thinking of 4-5 people also put them behind.”
Salman Butt also said that Pakistan will not forget this decision and if India plays against Pakistan in the ICC tournament in future, then it will continue to remind them of this ‘nationalism’.
WCL canceled the match and apologized to Indian players for inconvenience. However, this entire development has brought Indo-Pak cricket stress into the headlines again.
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(Tagstotranslate) Ind vs pak