The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has fined every member of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad PKR 5 million (approximately US$18,000) following the team’s disappointing campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Pakistan were knocked out in the Super Eight stage, marking the fourth consecutive ICC men’s tournament in which they failed to reach the semi-finals — a first in the country’s cricketing history. ESPNcricinfo understands the fines were not related to disciplinary issues but were imposed purely on the basis of what the board deemed underwhelming on-field performances.
The decision was reportedly communicated to the players immediately after their 61-run defeat to India in the group stage. At the time, they were informed the fines could be reconsidered if the team progressed to the semi-finals.
Although Pakistan avoided a third straight first-round exit by reaching the Super Eight stage, their campaign faltered thereafter. A washout against New Zealand and a defeat to England left them dependent on other results. Despite beating Sri Lanka in their final match, the margin of victory proved insufficient to secure a semi-final berth.
Sources indicate there were no disciplinary concerns within the squad during the tournament, making the performance-based fines both rare and potentially unprecedented in Pakistan cricket.
The current PCB administration has previously taken strong measures after major tournament setbacks. Following Pakistan’s loss to India in the Asia Cup final last year, the board temporarily suspended No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for players seeking to participate in overseas T20 leagues before later reversing the decision.
Despite the team’s struggles, there were individual highlights, most notably Sahibzada Farhan, who broke the record for most runs in a single T20 World Cup edition and became the first player to score two centuries in the same tournament.