The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has launched a fierce defense of its players’ integrity, condemning what it calls “agenda-driven fake news” circulating in the media.
This backlash follows reports targeting the personal character of left-arm pacer Salman Mirza during the ongoing 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
The controversy began when several media outlets, including a local news channel, aired “baseless and fake tickers” alleging that Mirza had been fined for misbehaving with a female hotel staff member in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
The reports suggested that team manager Naveed Cheema had to intervene and apologise to hotel management on the player’s behalf.
The PCB has categorically denied these claims, stating that no such incident took place. In a strongly worded official release, the board declared: “Agenda-driven fake news targeting the character of our players is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
The board has demanded an immediate retraction and a public apology from the journalists involved. Warning of further consequences, the PCB added:
“The reporter must publicly apologise 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.”
Salman Mirza has also broken his silence, labelling the allegations as “absurd news” and threatening individual legal action for defamation.
This tension comes at a sensitive time for the team, which recently faced heavy criticism and performance-related fines following their exit from the World Cup.
Comments are closed.