T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan Players Fined PKR 50 Lakh Each Following Disappointing Campaign - Report

Pakistan’s cricketers are reportedly facing a financial penalty following another disappointing T20 World Cup campaign. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has fined each player PKR 50 lakh for underperforming, a first in international cricket.

The decision, made under chairman Mohsin Naqvi, came immediately after Pakistan’s embarrassing loss to India in the group stage.

According to the Express Tribune, frustration over repeated failures in ICC events appears to have driven the board to act. Sources said PCB officials told the team that while strong performances earn rewards, poor ones will now carry consequences. “Enough pampering has been done,” an official reportedly remarked.

Pakistan’s campaign was a mix of narrow wins and heavy losses. They scraped past the Netherlands, defeated the USA and Namibia, but suffered humiliating defeats to India and struggled in the Super 8s.

A rain-affected match against New Zealand, losses to England, and a narrow five-run win over Sri Lanka left them short of semifinal qualification.

Captain Salman Ali Agha admitted the team underperformed, highlighting the over-reliance on opener Sahibzada Farhan. “Our middle order never performed, and we depended too much on Sahibzada for runs,” he said.

Farhan, however, was the tournament’s standout performer. He scored 383 runs in seven matches at an average of 76.60, became the first player in T20 World Cup history to score two centuries in a single edition, and broke Virat Kohli’s 2014 record of 319 runs.

Meanwhile, the rest of the batting lineup, including Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Usman Khan, failed to cross 100 runs individually.

The bowling attack also struggled, with spinner Usman Tariq the only notable performer, taking 10 wickets.

The fines are particularly striking given the lucrative salaries Pakistani players earn.

National cricketers receive substantial pay, with A-category players earning 4.5 million PKR monthly plus 2.07 million PKR from ICC revenue, B-category players 3 million PKR monthly plus 1.5525 million PKR, C-category players 1 million PKR monthly plus 1.035 million PKR, and D-category players 750,000 PKR monthly plus 517,500 PKR from ICC revenue. Match fees are additional.

Notably, in the central contracts covering July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, no player was included in the A category, highlighting that while salaries are high, top-tier contracts were vacant at the time.

Questions now loom over the future of captain Salman Ali Agha and senior players like Babar Azam, while Fakhar Zaman’s late opportunity to open and score 84 highlighted deeper issues in selection and team management.