Former Australian batter Usman Khawaja has expressed surprise over reports that Pakistan players could face heavy fines following their disappointing campaign at the T20 World Cup.

 

Khawaja shared his reaction in a video posted on social media after hearing that players might face penalties of up to Rs5 million each due to poor performances during the tournament.

 

"I just heard that the Pakistani players got fined after the T20 World Cup. I mean, I didn’t believe it at first, but it must be true. It’s absolutely amazing that the PCB could think this is a good idea. Sorry, I’m laughing because I can’t. I can’t believe it," Khawaja said.

 

Instagram Post

 

 

He questioned the logic behind punishing players for defeats and argued that such decisions only increase pressure on athletes who already face intense scrutiny.

 

"Just think—what high-performance team in the entire world, let alone cricket, fines players for losing games? They’re not trying to lose! How does that even make them perform better next time? All it does is put more pressure and stress onto the players. They’re already under enough pressure. They’re Pakistani players. The whole country is watching. Even past selection decisions have put them under stress, and now, on top of that, you’re fining them. It’s in absolute shambles. I really feel for the Pakistani players," he stated.

 

Khawaja also said he felt sympathy for the squad and described the situation as another surprising episode in Pakistan cricket.

 

"Poor Pakistani players. Yeah, 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," he added.

 

Pakistan’s campaign in the tournament ended in the Super Eights stage. The 2009 champions managed only one win against a full-member side when they narrowly defeated Sri Lanka national cricket team in their final Super Eights match.

 

The team earlier suffered defeats against India national cricket team and England national cricket team, while their match against New Zealand national cricket team ended without a result due to rain in Colombo.

 

The early exit marked the second consecutive edition of the T20 World Cup where Pakistan failed to reach the semi finals. Pakistan last reached the final in 2022, where they finished runners up after losing to England in final.

 

Following the team’s poor performance, PCB reportedly fined each player five million rupees.