Mumbai, July 31 -- In solidarity with the prevailing anti-Pakistan sentiment in the country, a number of leading ex-India cricketers refused to play ball with Pakistan, having qualified for the semi-final scheduled on Thursday in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) being played in England. Earlier in the tournament, the India-Pakistan league match was abandoned for the same reason and the teams had shared points. India's no-show in the semis will give the Pakistan Champions side direct entry into the final, to face South Africa or Australia. WCL in a statement acknowledged "the power of sport to inspire" but said "public sentiment must always be respected". It added: "We respect the India Champions' decision to withdraw from the semi-finals, and we equally respect the Pakistan Champions' readiness to compete. Taking all factors into consideration, the match. has been called off." Before the Indian team led by Yuvraj Singh made their stand known to the organisers, Indian sponsors EaseMyTrip had refused to be associated with the match. "Terror and cricket cannot go hand in hand. EaseMyTrip, 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. Some things are bigger than sport. Nation first, business later. Always. Jai Hind," EaseMyTrip founder Nishant Pitti posted on X. WCL is a private tournament featuring past cricketers. The six teams are West Indies, South Africa, Australia, England, India and Pakistan. Matches are held in four cities in the UK. Actor Ajay Devgn and entrepreneur Harshit Tomar are founders. The league claimed to have garnered over 325 million viewers in the inaugural edition last year, on the back of a blockbuster final where India Champions beat Pakistan Champions. Like every other cricket tournament, the India-Pakistan face-off is the marquee clash. Relations between the countries deteriorated this year following a military conflict. The conflict was triggered by the April 22 terror attack on civilians in Kashmir that New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing. Saying no to cricket with Pakistan has been hotly debated in the ongoing parliament session with many opposition party members questioning the government on the men's Asia Cup going ahead in the UAE with India and Pakistan scheduled to clash more than once. BCCI requires the government's nod for an India-Pakistan contest even in a multi-nation event. In the WCL, Shikhar Dhawan was the first Indian player to opt out of the Pakistan match in the league stage. Pakistan's Shahid Afridi called him a "rotten egg" speaking to the local media. Among other players in the team, Harbhajan Singh is a Rajya Sabha MP and Yusuf Pathan a Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP from Behrampore....