On March 5, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) called for a public apology from a reporter following reports by several media outlets alleging misconduct by a Pakistani cricketer during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in Sri Lanka. The board condemned these reports as “agenda-driven fake news” and warned of taking necessary action against those responsible if the demanded apology is not forthcoming.

This controversy began when reports from several Indian media outlets surfaced claiming that a Pakistan team member had misbehaved with a female housekeeper in a hotel in Kandy ahead of their Super Eight match against Sri Lanka. Although ARY News identified the player as Salman Mirza, this report has since been retracted. The PCB, however, did not single out any specific report or mention Mirza in its statement.

The board’s statement stressed the unacceptability of such news targeting the players’ character, stating, “Agenda-driven fake news targeting the character of our players is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.” It further insisted that the reporter involved must issue a public apology promptly. Failure to comply would lead the PCB to “take all necessary steps to ensure such malicious conduct is dealt with firmly and nipped in the bud.”

This incident follows closely on the heels of Pakistan’s disappointing performance at the T20 World Cup, where they were eliminated based on net run rate despite a win over Sri Lanka in their final match. Subsequently, each squad member was fined Rs5 million for their poor performance during the tournament.

Salman Mirza, the cricketer at the centre of the allegations, has vehemently denied the accusations. He announced his intention to pursue legal action against the local news outlet that disseminated the unverified news, expressing his condemnation of the report on social media and labeling it as “cheap journalism.”