Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha reacts in the field during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo) The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to take the most bizarre action after the average performance of the Pakistan team in the ongoing T20 World Cup.Pakistan’s early exit from the ICC T20 World Cup led to financial penalties for the players, with the PCB deciding to impose fines after the team failed to reach the semi-finals.Salman Ali Agha-led Pakistan were knocked out at the Super 8 stage of the tournament. They failed to restrict Sri Lanka below 147 in their chase of 213, which meant they failed to move ahead of New Zealand on pure pace and missed out on a place in the semi-finals. It was the fourth consecutive ICC tournament in which Pakistan failed to reach the last four.Instead of announcing structural or administrative changes, the PCB fined each player PKR 50 million. This is according to a report in Pakistani news Express tribunethe decision followed Pakistan’s exit from the tournament, although the move to impose fines was taken after their loss to India in a group stage match on 15 February.Citing sources, the report said the board had adopted a strict stance on financial incentives and that future cash benefits would be performance-based. The team played the entire tournament in Sri Lanka, where suitable conditions were found for them.“Officials have made it clear to the players that enough pampering has been done – from now on, financial benefits will only come with performance,” the report said.There has been no official statement from the PCB on the matter.Pakistan reached the Super 8 stage after defeating Namibia in the group stage. Their first Super 8 match against New Zealand was drawn. Defeat to England then left their semi-final hopes dependent on further results. England’s win over New Zealand kept Pakistan in contention, but their narrow win against Sri Lanka didn’t improve their net rate enough. New Zealand advanced to the semi-finals, ending Pakistan’s campaign.Former captain Babar Azam, current captain Salman Ali Agha and senior players Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz faced criticism. Agha is expected to step down as captain after returning home.
