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‘Now promise not to play Pakistan in World Cup’ – India warned after WCL fallout: ‘We won’t forget this’
Salman Butt blasted India for their WCL stance, daring them to boycott Pakistan at the World Cup and warning, “We won’t forget this.”
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt challenged India to stay consistent with their nationalist stance in ICC tournaments, after several players from the Yuvraj Singh-led India Champions side pulled out of the much-anticipated match against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends (WCL), prompting organisers to cancel the game in Birmingham on Sunday.
The captain, along with Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan and Yusuf Pathan, were among the players who reportedly pulled out of the match after facing public backlash. The criticism stemmed from their earlier condemnation of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which was followed by military action under Operation Sindoor.
WCL called off the game in the early hours of Sunday and apologised for "unintentionally causing discomfort" to the players of the Indian unit.
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Reacting on his YouTube channel, Butt questioned India’s motives, saying their actions sent the wrong message to both fans and the game. He then threw down the gauntlet: if India were so firm in their stance, they should commit to not facing Pakistan in any ICC events, including the World Cup or even the Olympics.
"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," he said.
Butt went on to accuse the senior Indian players of influencing others on the team to skip the match, calling it unfair and unnecessary pressure.
"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," he added.
The former Pakistan opener concluded by saying that the nation won't forget what India pulled off at the WCL, adding that they would keep reminding them of their "nationalism" if they break their stance in ICC tournaments. He said: "Keep this intact, because we will keep reminding them of this."
