Yuvraj Singh and India's hypocrisy called out, bashed for 'unnecessary hype' in WCL pullout: 'Saath mein ghumoge par...'

WCL cancelled the match between India and Pakistan on Sunday and apologised for "unintentionally causing discomfort" to Indian legends.

Former Pakistan fast bowler Abdur Rauf Khan, on Monday, savaged the India Champions team after several players pulled out of the match against Pakistan in the second season of the World Championship of Legends, leading the organisers to cancel Sunday's fixture in Birmingham. The match was slated to kick off India's title-defence campaign, having defeated Pakistan to claim the trophy in the inaugural season last year.

India vs Pakistan WCL match was scheduled for July 20

The likes of Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan and Yusuf Pathan, and Shikhar Dhawan were the players who had reportedly withdrawn from participating in the match at Edgbaston after public outrage for changing their stance on Pakistan, just months after condemning the Pahalgam terror attack.

WCL cancelled the match between India and Pakistan on Sunday and apologised for "unintentionally causing discomfort" to Indian legends.

Rauf showed no mercy to the veteran Indian players, questioning their hypocrisy after their act.

"Public ke saamne yeh dikhate ho ki hum nahi khelenge, aur saath mein ghumoge and shopping karoge, yeh unfair hai [You show the public that you won't play each other, but behind the scenes you travel together and go shopping — that's unfair]. They hang around together, eat together, party together — then when it comes to playing a match, why do they portray a different picture in front of the public?" Rauf asked.

"It's not just Pakistani players — even Indian players feel it. We've played together, shared dressing rooms, eaten together, gone shopping on tours, stayed in each other's hotel rooms — we're friends off the field. To then portray such a hard divide to the public — like 'we won't play them' — that creates unnecessary hype."

"Behind the scenes, the reality is very different. The fans, who come with so much excitement and emotion, are left disappointed. It's not a good look for cricket. We owe better to the game and its fans."

India-Pakistan cricket relations suffered the most after the Pahalgam attack. It left the upcoming Asia Cup tournament, scheduled to be held in India later this year, in limbo, as the BCCI continues to wait for government clearance. Meanwhile, on a global stage, it was reported in May 2025 that the ICC is likely to keep India and Pakistan in separate groups starting with the 2026 T20 World Cup next year.

The veteran of three Tests, four ODIs and one T20I urged India to keep politics away from sports.

"My consistent view has been keep politics and cricket separate. A year or two of tension may halt cricket, but once relations normalise, matches resume anyway. So why stop in the first place?... So yes, both governments should sit down and sign an agreement that cricket and sports will continue regardless of external conditions. Political tensions may come and go, but sports should not suffer," he said.

"You can't permanently shut this down. Tensions might last for a year or two, but ultimately the countries reconnect. So why halt sports in the first place?... That's why I believe there should be a clear framework or agreement ensuring continuity. Political issues will persist due to geographical realities but let sports breathe. Let it flourish," he added.

"The issues between India and Pakistan have been long-standing. Sometimes they escalate, sometimes relations improve. When relations are good, cricket resumes. When tensions rise, everything is shut down. Unfortunately, the fans are the ones who suffer the most... I believe there should be a formal agreement that regardless of political tensions, ICC-sanctioned events or bilateral tournaments should continue uninterrupted," Rauf concluded.