Following Pakistan’s disappointing campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the players have reportedly been fined by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Pakistan were knocked out in the Super 8 stage and also suffered a high-profile defeat to India during the group phase. According to a report by The Express Tribune, each player has been fined PKR 5 million. The report added that PCB officials believe players should face accountability for poor performances just as they are rewarded for success.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is reportedly planning a major overhaul of Pakistan’s T20I setup. News agency Press Trust of India (PTI) quoted a source as saying, “Naqvi is not happy at all because this time he was assured by the selectors, team management and his close aides in the board that the team was set to do well in the World Cup.”
The source further claimed that players such as Babar Azam, Salman Agha, Usman Khan and a few others could see the end of their T20I careers following the tournament.
Pakistan had won three of their four group-stage matches to advance to the Super 8. Their first Super 8 fixture was washed out due to rain, followed by a defeat to England. In their final Super 8 match, Pakistan posted 213 on the board, with Sahibzada Farhan scoring a century and Fakhar Zaman contributing 84.
However, to qualify for the semifinals, they needed to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 or below. Despite winning the match by five runs, they failed to meet the required qualification margin. Dasun Shanaka played a decisive unbeaten knock of 76 off just 31 balls, including 22 runs off the final over bowled by Shaheen Afridi, effectively ending Pakistan’s semifinal hopes.
Speaking after the match, Salman reflected on the narrow miss:
“We couldn’t finish the way we wanted. In T20 cricket, there are always a couple of overs that change the game. We batted really well for 18 overs, but the opposition had two very good overs. If we had managed those better and scored 10-15 more runs, it could have been a different story. With the dew factor, even 148 or 160 was always going to be challenging to defend.”
The PCB is now expected to review the team’s structure, leadership, and selection policies as Pakistan looks to rebuild its T20 side ahead of future global tournaments.
