T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan player fined for misbehaving with female hotel staff, says report

A fresh controversy has hit the Pakistan cricket team following their Super 8 stage exit from T20 World Cup 2026. An unnamed Pakistani player has reportedly been fined for misbehaving with a female hotel staff member in Kandy.

According to a report in Telecom Asia Sport, the incident took place ahead of Pakistan's last Super 8 match against Sri Lanka that took place in Pallekele.

The report adds that this has been a topic of discussion within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the cricketing circles in the country.

"The staff shouted and called for help, at which the hotel staff came to her rescue and reported the matter to Pakistan team manager Navaid Cheema," added the report.

"The top management of Golden Crown Hotel wanted the matter to be dealt with strongly, but Cheema apologised on behalf of the player and fined him for misbehaviour," the report further stated.

The player in question could be summoned before the Pakistan Cricket Board's disciplinary committee, and could receive further punishment.

Pakistan backroom and staff members have been in trouble over misconduct allegations in the past. In 2025, the Manchester Police had arrested batter Haider Ali over charges of raping a girl, while on tour with Pakistan Shaheens. However, Haider was later released due to a lack of evidence.

In another incident a few years ago, Pakistan masseur Malang Ali was also fined for misbehaving with a female staff member while on tour in Malaysia.

Pakistan qualified for the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup after finishing second in Group A that included India. Their only defeat in the group stage in fact came against India in Colombo. However, their Super 8 campaign went downhill.

They were forced to share a point each after their match against New Zealand was washed out due to rain in Colombo. The Men in Green then suffered a two-wicket loss to England, and New Zealand's win over Sri Lanka meant that Pakistan had to beat Sri Lanka by a big margin. However, the Salman Agha-led side only managed to beat Sri Lanka by five runs.