T20 World Cup 2026: The Pakistan Cricket Board on Saturday ended speculation about fining players after their early exit from the recently concluded tournament. After the Men in Green were eliminated from the T20 World Cup 2026, rumors spread that the PCB would fine players for their poor performance. The team failed to qualify for the semifinals for the fourth consecutive time in an ICC tournament. Many reports claimed each player of the 15-member squad would pay a fine of PKR 5 million.
But after a few days, when the rumors went viral on social media, Amir Mir—spokesperson for PCB—told Hindustan Times Digital that they did not take such action. He also said they were not planning to fine players, as there was no provision for it.
“No such decision was ever taken by the PCB. It was all social media gossip. There is no such precedence or provision,” Amir Mir told Hindustan Times Digital after the rumors circulated widely.
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The Salman Ali Agha-led side's hopes of reaching the semifinals depended on a huge win against Sri Lanka in their last Super 8s group match. They needed to win this match by at least 65 runs. England helped by defeating New Zealand, giving Pakistan a lifeline.
The Men in Green started the match strongly, posting a target of 212 runs with a brilliant hundred by Sahibzada Farhan. Sri Lanka's skipper, Dasun Shanaka, scored a gritty knock and nearly took his team over the line. Sri Lanka lost by five runs, but Pakistan's victory was not enough to reach the semis.
Reports initially claimed PCB planned to fine players after the group-stage loss to India, though this was later refuted by the board's official statement.
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Initially, there was speculation that the PCB fined players after their loss to India in the group stage in Colombo. Reports suggested the team would not have been fined if they had qualified for the semis under Salman Ali Agha's leadership.
After these reports went viral, many fans and ex-players criticized the PCB for fining the team. Ex-Pakistan skipper Younis Khan urged players to protest if the reports were true. He said no one should be fined, especially when players try their best. Other former cricketers like Dinesh Karthik, Nasser Hussain, and Michael Atherton agreed.
Mike Hesson, the team's head coach, was heavily criticized for picking the wrong playing XI. Captain Agha also faced harsh criticism for poor captaincy and for not using Usman Tariq as a game-changer.
Sahibzada Farhan was the only silver lining for the team as their top run-getter. He also surpassed Virat Kohli's record for most runs in a single edition of this tournament. Farhan set the record during the Super 8s match against Sri Lanka.
For participating in the event, Pakistan received USD 522,692 in ICC prize money.
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