Sony MAX UK suffers setback after India pulls out semi-final against Pakistan
Sony MAX, the UK broadcast partner for the World Championship of Legends cricket tournament, has encountered a second setback after the India Champions withdrew from their scheduled semi-final fixture against Pakistan.
The channel, which has recorded a notable rise in viewership during the course of the tournament, will no longer be able to televise the match originally set for Thursday. The decision follows statements made on Wednesday by senior Indian players—including Shikhar Dhawan, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, and Suresh Raina, who publicly declined to participate in the encounter in the wake of a recent terror attack and India’s subsequent launch of ‘Operation Sindoor’. India had taken a similar position earlier in the tournament, opting out of the group-stage match against Pakistan.
One of the tournament’s principal sponsors, EaseMyTrip, also issued a firm statement, threatening to withdraw its support should the fixture proceed. It said, “We stand with India. We cannot support any event that attempts to normalise relations with a country that promotes terrorism. The people of India have spoken and we hear them. EaseMyTrip will not be associated with the India vs Pakistan match in WCL.”
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Following India’s withdrawal, Pakistan Champions have automatically progressed to the final, where they will face the winner of the second semi-final, scheduled to take place between South Africa Champions and Australia Champions on Thursday.
