The India-Pakistan cricket rivalry took a political turn once again after former Pakistan captain Salman Butt stirred controversy in the aftermath of the India Champions vs Pakistan Champions match being abruptly cancelled in the ongoing World Championship of Legends 2025 (WCL) 2025.  The high-voltage fixture, scheduled in Birmingham, was called off just hours before the toss after a group of prominent Indian cricketers—Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Yusuf Pathan—withdrew from the game.

Their decision reportedly stemmed from outrage over the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, following which the Indian Army launched Operation Sindoor in retaliation. The players’ withdrawal was widely seen as a symbolic protest, reinforcing a strong nationalist stand against playing Pakistan under such tense circumstances.

The organisers later apologised for the situation, clarifying that they had no intention of causing discomfort to the Indian players and regretted the unfortunate turn of events. However, Salman Butt was quick to react, taking to his YouTube channel to deliver a pointed critique of India’s stance.

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Salman Butt questioned India’s consistency and accused them of “mixing politics with cricket.” He argued that if India were truly committed to cutting all cricketing ties with Pakistan, they should back that sentiment by refusing to face Pakistan in any ICC event—including the T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup, or even the Olympics, should cricket be featured.

“The world is watching,” Salman Butt said. “What message are they sending to global cricket and to fans? If you’re taking a stand, take it across formats and platforms. Don’t just back out here and then play against us at the World Cup.”

He challenged Indian cricketers to make this stance official, adding, “I’d love to see how far that nationalism goes when the stakes are high.”

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Butt didn’t stop there. He went on to claim that a few senior Indian players influenced the rest of the squad to skip the WCL match, putting pressure on those who may have wanted to play.

“This isn’t the right mindset. If 4-5 senior players decide, do others have no say?” he asked. He concluded with a thinly veiled warning: “Pakistan won’t forget what happened at WCL 2025. If India suddenly changes its tune during ICC events, we’ll be the first to remind them of the ‘nationalism’ they showed here.”