Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has fined each member of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad PKR 5 million (approximately USD 18,000) following the team’s disappointing campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the fines were imposed specifically for what the board deemed poor on-field performances during the tournament and were not related to any disciplinary breach.
Pakistan were eliminated at the Super Eight stage, missing out on the semi-finals of an ICC men’s event for the fourth successive time — the first such instance in the country’s cricket history.
Performance-Based Sanctions
As per ESPNcricinfo, the decision to fine the entire squad was conveyed immediately after Pakistan’s 61-run defeat to India in the group stage. The players were reportedly informed that the penalties could be waived if the team progressed to the semi-finals.
While Pakistan did manage to reach the second round — avoiding a third straight first-round exit — their campaign faltered in the Super Eight stage. A washout against New Zealand was followed by a defeat to England, leaving them reliant on other results and a massive win over Sri Lanka to keep their hopes alive.
Though they secured victory against Sri Lanka, the margin proved insufficient to overturn their net run-rate deficit, resulting in an early exit.
Rare Move by PCB
According to ESPNcricinfo, there were no disciplinary issues within the squad throughout the tournament, making the fines particularly unusual. The PCB has previously imposed sanctions on players, but those were typically framed as disciplinary actions rather than performance-related penalties.
Earlier this year, following a narrow defeat to India in the Asia Cup final, the PCB had temporarily suspended No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for players seeking to participate in overseas T20 leagues. The suspension was later lifted, allowing players to join competitions such as Australia’s Big Bash League.
Individual Success Amid Team Struggles
Despite the team’s overall disappointment, Sahibzada Farhan emerged as a standout performer. He broke the record for most runs in a single T20 World Cup edition and became the only player to score two centuries in the same tournament.
However, individual brilliance was not enough to prevent collective accountability, as the PCB’s sweeping fines underline growing frustration over Pakistan’s repeated failures to reach the knockout stages of major ICC events.
Source: ESPN Cricinfo
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