PCB Punishes Pakistan Stars After T20 World Cup Exit, Imposes Stunning Fine: Report

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has fined the national team cricketers PKR 5 million (Rs 16.28 lakh) each after they failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup semifinals, according to a report by Express Tribune. The report further claimed that the decision was taken following Pakistan's loss to India in the group stage. Pakistan lost their Super 8 match against England and although they did clinch a narrow win over Sri Lanka, it was not enough to seal their qualification. The report added that the board officials were highly displeased with the team's performance and as a result, the decision was taken to impose a steep fine on the players for not reaching the semifinals of an ICC event yet again.

Pakistan may have ended their T20 World Cup campaign on a winning note but the team's overall performance in the mega event has cast a gloom over the country's cricket fraternity.

“You get one chance in two years' time to leave an imprint of your country's cricket excellence and you fail again. It is very disappointing to see all this,” former captain and batting great Javed Miandad said on Sunday.

The batting maestro said the more he watched T20 cricket, the more he realise it is now a very methodical format and the Pakistan players are not able to keep up with the other teams.

Miandad said the team's performance against the higher-ranked teams is a matter of great concern, and the Pakistan Cricket Board needs to take some radical decisions now.

Former captain Mohammad Yousuf said a few players had been given too many opportunities to establish themselves in T20 cricket and have failed to deliver in major events.

“It is time to move on and learn from our blunders,” he said.

Former skipper Moin Khan said that until Pakistan are not able to defeat higher-ranked teams, it would never win a ICC event.

“You can't win a major tournament unless you have the capability to beat top teams. Unfortunately, we have made too many mistakes in selection and on the field. More importantly, our main players didn't fire in the World Cup,” he lamented.

Former skipper Babar Azam, incumbent captain Salman Ali Agha and other senior players such as Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Mohammad Nawaz are facing intense criticism. Agha is expected to step down from leadership role after returning home.

Saqlain Mushtaq, who has also coached Pakistan in the past, has also faced lot of criticism for trying to defend his son-in-law Shadab's performances by putting the blame on head coach Mike Hesson.

(With PTI inputs)

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