LAHORE (Kashmir English): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday rejected rumors targeting the character of Pakistan national players, stating that “agenda-driven fake news” is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
The statement came after several Indian media outlets reported that an unnamed member of Pakistan’s squad allegedly misbehaved with a female hotel staff member during the team’s stay in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
A report by Telecom Asia Sport stated that the incident is believed to have occurred shortly before Pakistan’s final Super Eight fixture against Sri Lanka at the Golden Crown Hotel.
Pakistan’s ARY News also reported that the player in question was Salman Mirza.
PCB response
Taking down the reports, the PCB stated, “Agenda-driven fake news targeting the character of our players is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
“The reporter must publicly apologize without delay; failing which, the PCB will take all necessary steps to ensure such malicious conduct is dealt with firmly and nipped in the bud,” it said.
Agenda driven fake news targeting the character of our players is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The reporter must publicly apologize without delay; failing which, the PCB will take all necessary steps to ensure such malicious conduct is dealt with firmly and nipped in…
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 5, 2026
However, the PCB’s statement did not make specific mention of any specific fake news or the allegations.
The development came after Pakistan’s poor campaign at the T20 World Cup, where they were knocked out on net run rate despite beating Sri Lanka in their final Super Eights match in Kandy.
On Monday, it was reported that the PCB had imposed a fine of Rs5 million on each member of the squad for poor performance during the tournament.
