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The Pakistan Cricket Board has fined all of its T20 World Cup squad members after the Black Caps made the tournament’s semi-finals ahead of them.
Each player was fined PKR 5 million (about $30,000) after the team was knocked out at the conclusion of the Super Eight stage, making itthe fourth time in a row Pakistan have not made the semi-finals of an ICC men’s event.
This is the first time that has happened to the team and the fines are what the board considers a poor performance at the tournament, according to ESPNcricinfo.
The fines were imposed immediately after Pakistan’s 61-run loss to India and were told these could be waived if they reached the semi-finals.
Pakistan qualified for the Super Eights, preventing a third-straight exit in the first round, but had a tough run during the tournament’s second stage.
They started with a washout against New Zealand, which was promptly followed by a two-wicket loss to England.
The Black Caps made the T20 World Cup semi-finals ahead of Pakistan and did not face each other in the Super Eights after their match was washed out. Photo / Photosport
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had previously sanctioned players for what they framed as disciplinary issues, but reports suggest there were no issues of that kind in the team during the tournament.
The PCB punished players five months ago after losing to India in the Asia Cup Final by briefly suspending all No-Objection Certificates, which allow players to participate in T20 leagues during the winter.
The suspension was lifted, with some of Pakistan’s top players taking part in Australia’s Big Bash league.
Some Pakistan players had individual success at the T20 World Cup, with Sahibzada Farhan having broken the record for most runs at the tournament.
He also became the only player to score two centuries at the same T20 World Cup.
The Black Caps will play the Springboks on Thursday morning in their semi-final, while England take on India a day later in the other.
