Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign came to an end after failing to register an over 65-run victory Sri Lanka in their last Super Eights game. Photo: AFP
KARACHI:
Poor performance in the T20 World Cup has proven costly for Pakistani cricketers, as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has fined each player 5 million rupees.
In fact, the decision was made right after the defeat against India.
According to sources, officials have clearly told the players that enough pampering has been done — from now on, financial benefits will only come with performance.
According to details, Pakistan narrowly avoided defeat against the Netherlands in their opening match of the T20 World Cup, then defeated the USA. Given familiarity with Sri Lankan conditions and the presence of quality spin bowlers, better performance was expected against India, but as in three Asia Cup matches, the team failed again.
After defeating Namibia, Pakistan managed to reach the Super 8 stage. The match against New Zealand was washed out due to rain, and then they suffered defeat against England, making their semifinal qualification dependent on other results. England’s victory over New Zealand revived Pakistan’s hopes, but a narrow win against Sri Lanka failed to improve their run rate sufficiently. As a result, New Zealand also qualified for the semifinals, ending the Green Shirts’ campaign.
Like the fans, board officials are also highly displeased with the team’s performance. According to sources, each player has already been fined 5 million rupees. Officials made it clear that if players receive rewards for good performances, they must also pay penalties for poor ones. The team was informed of this decision immediately after losing to India.
It is worth noting that national cricketers currently earn millions annually. An A-category player receives a monthly salary of 4.5 million rupees plus 2.07 million rupees as a share from ICC revenue. B-category players receive 3 million rupees monthly and 1.5525 million rupees as ICC share. C-category players get 1 million rupees monthly and 1.035 million rupees ICC share. D-category players earn 750,000 rupees monthly and 517,500 rupees ICC share. Match fees are separate. In the central contracts from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, no player was included in the A category.
Sources further said that the PCB introduced the auction model in the Pakistan Super League to ensure players’ financial stability. Opener Sahibzada Farhan had previously complained that he was not being paid fairly. Now star cricketers are receiving contracts worth millions, but their performance has not improved, which has displeased officials. In the ongoing World Cup, Sahibzada Farhan leads with 383 runs. Surprisingly, other top batters — Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Babar Azam, and Usman Khan — failed to score even 100 runs individually in the entire tournament.
Among bowlers, apart from spinner Usman Tariq, who took 10 wickets, others delivered only average performances. Currently, Mike Hesson holds significant influence over the national team. Captain Salman Ali Agha is reportedly kept at the forefront, while Shadab Khan is involved in decision-making and is considered close to Hesson due to his association with Islamabad United.
Before the event, Fakhar Zaman had already been informed that he would not be part of the playing XI in the initial matches, and he was not utilized properly. When Fakhar was finally given the opportunity to open against Sri Lanka, he scored 84 runs at a strike rate of 200, proving his effectiveness — but by then it was too late. Senior batter Babar Azam failed to meet expectations. Salman struggled badly as a batter, and questions were also raised about his decisions as captain. In the coming days, the PCB may take further strict decisions.
