Pakistan players told to ‘take stand’ against PCB after being fined for T20 World Cup debacle: ‘Weak board’

Former Pakistan players Younis Khan and Rashid Latif lambasted the PCB for imposing fines on players following the early exit from the T20 World Cup.

Updated on: Mar 11, 2026, 07:37:05 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Younis Khan, the legendary batter and former Pakistan captain, has urged the players in the T20 World Cup 2026 squad to take on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) if they have indeed been penalised for the poor performance in the 20-team tournament. According to several reports, the Mohsin Naqvi-led PCB fined the entire playing squad for the early exit after the Green Shirts failed to reach the semi-finals. According to ESPNcricinfo, all members of the squad were fined PKR 5 million (approx. USD 18,000). To make matters worse, this decision was taken after Pakistan's defeat against India, with one rider: it would have been waived had the team reached the semi-finals.

Pakistan failed to make the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2026. (PTI)

However, Pakistan, led by Salman Ali Agha, crashed out of the T20 World Cup after failing to defeat Sri Lanka by 65 runs in Pallekele. The 2009 champions lost to India by 61 runs, then lost to England in the Super 8s, while the game against the eventual finalists, New Zealand, was abandoned due to rain.

Younis said that instances of players being fined by the PCB had occurred in 2003 as well, but the players had taken a stand and the decision had to be reversed.

Also Read: Mohsin Naqvi's PCB sets up PSL's clash with IPL 2026, full schedule announced

“Is it confirmed? If it's confirmed, then it's not right. Earlier, an instance like that happened. In 2003, when we returned after the World Cup, Rashid Latif was made the captain, he received a message from the PCB that the match fees will be reduced to half and same will be done with allowance. 1-2 players had taken a stand against this,” Younis told reporters in Pakistan on Tuesday.

“The players now have to take a stand. If the players take a stand, then they wouldn't be fined,” he added.

‘Weak board’

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif, who was standing beside Younis, echoed the same sentiment, saying the decision to fine the players makes no sense and it is just a deviating tactic employed by the PCB.

“Weak boards take such decisions of fining players. All the things are mentioned in the central contracts. This is just some theory floated in the media for you guys to enjoy. Nothing will happen,” said Latif.

The PCB has yet to announce that the players have been penalised officially. However, the board hasn't denied the reports either. The Pakistan board is usually known to issue statements whenever there are reports of this alarming nature. Last week, the PCB denied media reports that pacer Salman Mirza had misbehaved with a woman at a Kandy hotel during the T20 World Cup.

The board asked the journalist in question to issue a formal apology or else face action.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

Get live cricket scores, match updates, schedules, results and ICC rankings. Follow the latest news, statistics and performances of top teams and players on Hindustan Times.