LAHORE: Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has strongly criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after reports confirmed that players were fined PKR 50 lakh each following the team’s early exit from the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Sources revealed that the fines were linked to performance failures rather than disciplinary breaches. Players were allegedly informed after their 61-run defeat to India in the group stage that the penalties would be waived if Pakistan managed to qualify for the semifinals.
Despite defeating Sri Lanka in their final Super 8 match, Pakistan’s net run rate fell short of New Zealand’s, ending their campaign. Earlier, their clash against New Zealand was washed out, while a narrow loss to England compounded their elimination.
Amir lashed out at the PCB for placing the blame solely on players, warning Chairman Mohsin Naqvi that selectors and administrators must also face consequences: “If financial penalties are being put on players, then the selectors and the administrators should also be sanctioned. The players are not responsible for selection matters and the ones who took the calls must also be held accountable.”
He argued that if the board is dissatisfied with certain individuals, dropping them from the national setup would send a stronger message than imposing fines. Amir suggested that underperforming players should return to domestic cricket before being reconsidered for national duty.
Amir pointed to standout contributions, questioning the fairness of blanket fines as Sahibzada Farhan set a record for most runs in a single T20 World Cup edition, including two centuries and Fakhar Zaman featured in only two matches, raising doubts about whether he should be penalized equally.
“If the team combination turns out to be wrong, then those who chose the squad and devised the strategy should be the ones held responsible. Are you going to penalise Fakhar Zaman too, even though he played only two matches? And what about Sahibzada Farhan?” Amir asked. Amir concluded that fines are not a solution to Pakistan’s recurring failures at ICC events: “Fines won’t fix anything.
