Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt made a direct challenge to Indian through his YouTube Channel following the cancellation of their World Championship of Legends clash in Birmingham, demanding consistency in their boycott approach across all future ICC tournaments and Olympic competitions. Several senior Indian players withdrew their participation from India Champions and Pakistan Champions, and officials eventually had to cancel the match.  Indian players withdrew citing geopolitical tensions following the April Pahalgam terror attack.

Shikhar Dhawan was the main character leading this boycott movement. He shared an email with organizers on May 11, and it stated, "Mr Shikhar Dhawan will not be participating in any matches against the Pakistan team in the upcoming WCL League due to our current geopolitical situation and prevailing tensions between India and Pakistan,"   The 38-year-old opener's stance soon followed by sole other fellow legends including Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, and Irfan Pathan, creating a united front that ultimately forced tournament organizers to cancel the fixture. Dhawan also confirmed  his nationalist position on social media, declaring that "my country is everything to me, and nothing is bigger than the country."

Jo kadam 11 May ko liya, uspe aaj bhi waise hi khada hoon. Mera desh mere liye sab kuch hai, aur desh se badhkar kuch nahi hota.

Jai Hind! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/gLCwEXcrnR

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) July 19, 2025

The Pakistan Champion team captain, Shaid Afridi, had made a statement earlier, but Butt's response seems more direct and brutal. However, Butt countered that this boycott movement is not easy for India to maintain. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former captain questioned India's commitment to their stance. "The whole world is talking about them. What message have they sent to cricket? Now don't play in the World Cup. Don't play against us in any ICC tournament. Make this a promise," Butt demanded

The Pakistani veteran escalated his challenge beyond cricket, demanding India to be consistent in nationalism across all sporting disciplines. "Don't play against us at any level. Not even the Olympics. I would love to see how much nationalism they can show at that level," he stated. 

Tournament organizers' initial decision to schedule the India-Pakistan fixture was based on recent positive sporting exchanges between the countries, including hockey team visits and volleyball competitions. "We thought of continuing with the India vs Pakistan match at WCL to create happy memories for fans," organizers explained. "We unintentionally caused discomfort to our Indian Cricket Legends," the statement admitted, leading to immediate cancellation and full ticket refunds at Edgbaston. 

Also, Australian legend Brett Lee was maintaining diplomatic thoughts about the situation."I love India, I love Pakistan. I hope they can appreciate themselves. We are all inclusive here," Lee stated at the press conference, describing the situation as a "tough question." However, Butt's concluding warning emphasized Pakistan's long-term perspective on the controversy. "We will keep reminding them of their nationalism if they change their stance during ICC tournaments," he stated

The immediate impact of this incident on the Champion trophy is rescheduling. Both India and Pakistan are now facing South Africa Champions in separate fixtures. India plays on July 22 at Northampton, while Pakistan meets South Africa on July 25 in Leicester. The potential for knockout stage encounters between the rivals remains, with semi-finals scheduled for July 31 and the final on August 2.