Former Australia batter Usman Khawaja said that he was left in disbelief upon hearing that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has fined players for their performance in the T20 World Cup. Khawaja slammed the PCB for the move, stating that it will only put more pressure on the players instead of inspiring them to perform better next time around.
“I just heard that the Pakistani players got fined after the T20 World Cup,” Khawaja said in a video that he posted on his Instagram handle. “I mean, I didn’t believe it at first. It’s absolutely amazing that the PCB could think this is a good idea. Sorry, I’m laughing because I can’t believe it,” he added.
“Just think, what high-performance team in the entire world, let alone cricket, fines players for losing games? They’re not trying to lose cricket games! How does that even make them perform better next time? All it does is put more pressure and stress onto the players. They’re under enough pressure. They’re Pakistani players, the whole country is watching. Even selections in the past have put pressure on them, and now, on top of that, you’re fining them? It’s in absolute shambles. I really feel for the Pakistani players. Poor Pakistani players,” he stated.
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The Express Tribune reported that the PCB officials “have clearly told the players that enough pampering has been done — from now on, financial benefits will only come with performance.” According to the report, each player had been fined $18,000 each.
“I’m lost for words, honestly. That’s why I made this video. I can’t believe it. Every time I think Pakistan’s not going to surprise me, they surprise me. It’s like a drama series. I can’t wait for the next episode,” said Khawaja.
Pakistan’s buildup to the tournament was a dramatic one, with the country’s government intially barring the team from taking the field for their group-stage match against India. They beat the Netherlands and the USA in their first two matches and did take the field against India in Colombo. Pakistan went on to lose that match by 61 runs, which was followed by the team and management being slammed by former Pakistan playes.
They went on to progress to the Super Eights with a 102-run win over Namibia but a two-wicket defeat to England, followed by a failure to restrict Sri Lanka to a score of 147, led to them failing to make it to the semifinals.
