The Pakistan senior men's side endured another poor T20 World Cup campaign as they bowed out of the 2026 edition without making the semifinal stage. For a team that made it to the semifinal in 2021 and final in 2022, this now makes it two editions in a row without making it to the knockouts.
If we consider the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy, Pakistan have not made it to the semifinals of four ICC events in a row. Understandably, there is disappointment, both in the Pakistan camp and at the Pakistan Cricket Board. Amidst a very disappointing T20 World Cup campaign, there was a heavy 76-run defeat to arch-rivals India.
According to reports, the PCB is set to impose penalties on the 15-member squad that represented Pakistan at the 2026 T20 World Cup. While an official decision or statement isn't out yet, speculations are that the players are likely to pay an amount of Rs 16 lakh INR (Rs 50 lakh PKR) to the PCB.
Apart from the angry mood of the PCB, the Pakistan government has also conveyed its frustration at the team's incompetence to Mohsin Naqvi who is also part of the government himself. It must be remembered that the PCB and Pakistan government had headlined a series of off-field events prior to the start of T20 World Cup 2026.
When Bangladesh were on the verge of backing out through the BCB, it's Pakistan and the PCB that showed support, although they couldn't deny the inevitable. Once Scotland replaced Bangladesh, Pakistan then came up with a bit of drama regarding a potential boycott of T20 World Cup 2026 and their game against India. Eventually, they did an expected U-turn on their decisions and played all the games.