New Delhi, March 5 – To add insult to injury, an unnamed Pakistani player was reported and later fined for misbehaving with a female staff member during their stay at a hotel in Kandy, Sri Lanka, for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup matches. The incident was reported by the team manager, according to a news report on Thursday.
The incident occurred before Pakistan's last Super 8 match against the hosts, Sri Lanka, and is being discussed in hushed tones within the Pakistan Cricket Board and the team circles, Telecom Asia Sport reported.
"Before Pakistan's last Super Eight match against Sri Lanka, a Pakistan World Cup squad player misbehaved with a female housekeeping staff," sources told Telecom Asia Sport. "The staff shouted and called for help, at which point the hotel staff intervened and reported the matter to Pakistan team manager Navaid Cheema," the report said, quoting team sources.
The management of the Golden Crown Hotel wanted the matter to be dealt with seriously, but Cheema apologized on behalf of the player and fined him for the misbehavior, Telecom Asia Sport reported.
Although Pakistan won that match by five runs, the team failed to reach the semi-finals due to their net run-rate, and returned home in batches on Sunday and Monday.
The player is also likely to appear before the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) disciplinary committee, and further punishment is likely.
The report also stated that Pakistani players and backroom staff have a history of misconduct on tours.
Young batter Haider Ali was arrested by Manchester Police last year on charges of raping a girl during Pakistan Shaheens' tour of England. Haider appeared before a court but was released due to lack of evidence, the report claimed.
Pakistan team masseur Malang Ali was also reported and fined for misbehaving with a female staff member during a tour of Malaysia a few years ago.
