Former Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten said he was not surprised to hear reports of the team being fined for their poor performance at the 2026 T20 World Cup. Pakistan crashed out of the tournament during the Super 8 stage, managing only one win over a full member nation and being thrashed by India once again.
According to a report by The Express Tribuneeach player in the team could face a fine of PKR 5 million (around Rs 16 lakh) for failing to meet performance standards. The move, believed to have been pushed by Mohsin Naqvi, indicates a tougher stance by the Pakistan Cricket Board in handling poor results. Insiders suggest that the leadership has become increasingly frustrated after a series of disappointing performances in major ICC tournaments.
Kirsten recently spoke about her time with the Pakistan team. and the toxic culture with the cricket system in the country and gave his opinion on the matter. Speaking to the BBC, the former Pakistan coach said he was sad to hear the news because he believed the players were giving their all for the team.
“I’m not particularly surprised (by reports of fines on Pakistan players). For me, it’s just sad. I mean, those players are giving everything and I have to know them well. You know, all of them. So I have an emotional connection with a lot of those guys. I saw them in Colombo and it was great to connect with them again. And they’re good guys. They want to do well for their country. So it’s never nice to see that,” Kirsten said.
‘PAK PLAYERS ARE DEDICATED TO THE GAME’
Kirsten spoke about the bond she had with the Pakistan players and said that they were excellent professionals and she enjoyed her time with them.
“In the end, I just enjoy working with cricketers. And if you have cricketers, whether they’re from England, the West Indies, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, they’re cricketers, they’re professionals. We speak the same language. We connect on similar things and we’re professionals in that space. And you know, I enjoyed the Pakistani players, I did. I thought they were dedicated to the game,” Kirsten said.
Exiting the 2026 T20 World Cup was the third time in a row that Pakistan failed to reach the final four of an ICC event.
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