Pakistan Former Captain Rizwan Says ‘Nothing Official Yet’ on Reports of Fines on Players

KARACHI: Pakistan’s senior wicketkeeper-batter and former captain Mohammad Rizwan has said that reports claiming the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has imposed fines on national team players following their disappointing campaign in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 are not officially confirmed.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the national team’s training camp on the final day at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre in Karachi ahead of the upcoming ODI tour of Bangladesh, Rizwan was asked to respond to media reports suggesting that several players could face financial penalties.

Responding to the question, the former Pakistan captain said he could only comment if the matter was formally announced by the PCB. He also criticised sections of the media for publishing claims before any official confirmation had been issued.

“Many people have asked me about this issue and even other players have faced similar questions,” Rizwan told reporters. “However, nothing has been officially communicated so far. If the PCB formally announces that there is a fine of fifty lakh or that the management has decided to penalise players, then I can share my views.”

“But at this stage nothing official has been released. These reports are only appearing in the media, which makes me wonder how such claims are being presented when there has been no formal statement.”

Pakistan are scheduled to play a three-match ODI series against Bangladesh national cricket team from March 11 to 15 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. The series will mark Pakistan’s first international assignment since their disappointing exit from the T20 World Cup earlier this year.

Although the Green Shirts go into the series after completing a 3-0 whitewash against Sri Lanka national cricket team in a home ODI series in November last year, the squad for the Bangladesh tour includes several major changes. Prominent players such as Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haseebullah, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah and Saim Ayub were not included in the ODI squad.

Rizwan was also asked whether the omission of several senior players was linked to their recent performances in T20 internationals and whether mixing performances across different formats was affecting team selections.

In response, Rizwan said such questions should be directed to the selection committee, adding that he was not involved in their decision-making process. “Anyone can have such thoughts, and perhaps our supporters may also think that players are being dropped from the ODI side because of their T20 performances,” he said.

“But the selection committee is in a better position to explain the reasoning behind these decisions because they know the discussions that take place in their meetings. If I comment on it, I may not be fully aware of what actually happens there.”