The Pakistan Cricket Board has fined every member of the recent T20 World Cup squad PKR 5 million (about US$ 18,000) following a campaign that ended at the Super Eight stage and, once again, short of the semi-finals.
A PCB official confirmed the sanctions were “performance-related, not disciplinary”. The decision was relayed to the players straight after the 61-run defeat to India in the group phase, with the board hinting the penalty could be scrapped if they rallied to reach the last four. They did not, and the fine now stands.
Pakistan did avoid a third consecutive first-round exit, but a washed-out fixture against New Zealand, a loss to England and then an insufficient win over Sri Lanka combined to end their run. It is the fourth ICC men’s event in a row where Pakistan have fallen before the semi-finals – an unwanted first in the country’s cricket history.
“We have a responsibility to the fans. Standards must be upheld,” PCB chair Mohsin Naqvi said in a short board statement issued on Monday. Batting coach Mohammad Yousuf struck a similar note: “The fine hurts, but so did the way we batted against India. Accountability is part of elite sport.”
The board has taken a harsh line in the past, though penalties usually follow off-field issues. Five months ago, after the narrow Asia Cup final defeat to India, the PCB briefly withdrew No-Objection Certificates that allow players to appear in overseas T20 leagues, only to reinstate them when several stars headed to the Big Bash.
This time there were no reported breaches of discipline. Instead, the board has targeted on-field output, a move senior domestic observers struggle to recall happening before. Former captain Sana Mir called the stance “bold but risky”, adding, “You have to be sure the pressure you create leads to improvement rather than resentment.”
There were individual bright spots. Sahibzada Farhan broke the record for most runs at a single T20 World Cup, the first man to register two hundreds in the same edition. Yet collective returns mattered more. Assistant coach Abdul Razzaq admitted, “Farhan was brilliant, but cricket stays a team game.”
The fines apply to the entire 15-man squad, though the PCB has left the door ajar for a partial reprieve if performances improve in the forthcoming home series against Bangladesh. Central-contract deductions are the likely mechanism, avoiding an immediate cash outlay from the players.
Questions over leadership continue. Urooj Mumtaz, speaking on a local TV panel, asked bluntly: “Does Salman Agha continue as captain?” The PCB, for now, has offered no public answer, preferring to let emotions cool before its scheduled performance review later this month.
For supporters, frustration remains raw, but the board’s message is clear: reputations alone no longer guarantee protection from tangible consequences.
