'Make a promise, don't play us even in ICC tournaments': Salman Butt reacts to cancelled IND-PAK WCL match
A few Indian players withdrew from the World Championship of Legends match against Pakistan a day before and hence, the game was cancelled on the morning of the clash. Former Pakistan skipper urged India to go ahead and not play their neighbours in any men's cricket tournament going forward.
The ongoing World Championship of Legends came to a stuttering halt on Sunday when the highly anticipated clash between the arch-rivals and neighbours India and Pakistan was cancelled. A number of Indian players including Shikhar Dhawan, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan, among others withdrew from game a day before amid growing outrage with respect to them agreeing to go ahead with the game despite the two countries going through a cross-border military conflict a couple of months ago.
On the morning of the match, the organisers announced that the match had been cancelled and that the ticket amounts would be refunded to spectators. The decision didn't sit down very well with the Pakistan Champions team owner, Kamil Khan, and Shahid Afridi, one of the playing members of the side. Khan and Afridi reckoned that the decision was a disrespect to the fans and the Pakistan Champions players, who were ready to play the game.
Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt too didn't react cordially to the whole episode, urging India not to mix politics and cricket, and if they were doing that, he hoped that they would not play them even in the ICC tournaments and that the enormity of the contest shouldn't decide as to which match they should play and not.
“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," Butt said while speaking on his YouTube channel.
“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. When you come up against a Chinese athlete, refuse to compete in that event. Please do that. I would love to see," Butt further said.
Pakistan Champions' owner demanded that they be awarded the two points of the match, but the question remains what will happen if India Champions and Pakistan Champions square off in a semi-final or in the final?