New Delhi, Mar 1 (UNI) The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly penalised every member of Pakistan’s squad from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup PKR 5 million (approximately USD 18,000) following what it termed an unsatisfactory campaign.
For the fourth consecutive edition of the T20 World Cup, Pakistan failed to make it to the semifinal stages, a first in the country’s history, forcing the PCB to act tough on the players.
According to ESPNCricinfo, the fines were imposed strictly on performance grounds and were not related to any disciplinary breach. The decision was reportedly taken soon after Pakistan’s 61-run defeat to India in the group stage, a result that significantly dented their campaign. Players were informed that the penalty could be reconsidered if the team progressed to the last four.
Although Pakistan avoided a third straight first-round exit by advancing to the Super Eight phase, their campaign soon faltered. A washout against New Zealand was followed by a loss to England, leaving them dependent on other results. New Zealand’s emphatic win over Sri Lanka further narrowed Pakistan’s qualification chances, and their own victory over Sri Lanka proved too modest to secure a last-four berth.
While the PCB has previously taken stern action against players, those measures have typically been linked to disciplinary matters. In this instance, however, there were no reported internal issues during the tournament, making the across-the-board fines for on-field performance unusual and potentially without precedent.
The current PCB administration has demonstrated a readiness to impose punitive measures after major tournament setbacks.
Last year, following a narrow defeat to India in the Asia Cup final, the board temporarily suspended No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) that allowed players to participate in overseas T20 leagues. That move was later reversed, enabling several leading players to compete in Australia’s Big Bash League.
Despite the team’s overall disappointment, there were notable individual performances. Sahibzada Farhan enjoyed a record-breaking tournament, finishing as the leading run-scorer and becoming the only player to register two centuries in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.
