T20 World Cup: Controversy continues in Pakistan after lackluster performance, censure inundating family

The performance of Pakistan in the T20 World Cup was abysmal, and the team was knocked out of the tournament in the group stage itself. From that moment, the neighbors got into a heated controversy regarding the performance and criticized the players.

Now there is controversy about their taking the players' families with them for the tournament, and they are being criticized for this. And the cricket board, already surrounded by controversies, is now considering introducing a new defamation rule to deal with these unconfirmed claims and news. Local media reported that besides around 34 players, support staff, and officials in the US, 26 to 28 family members were also housed in the team hotel. These include wives, children, parents, and even siblings.

According to Amar Ujala, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, and Mohammad Aamir were the players whose family members graced their accompanying to the US. Babar was not married, and because of that, his parents and brother were staying in the team hotel.

The former Test wicketkeeper Atiq Uz Zaman has said that he can understand the aspect when players need to have their family with them in low-profile or bilateral tours. Still, in a mega event like the World Cup, this should not have happened on the part of the PCB.

Zaman said no family should have been allowed to accompany him to the World Cup as players needed to focus on cricket. As soon as you have a family along, you have diverted the attention and time of the players from cricket. According to another report, the extra expenses incurred by taking the family were definitely paid by the players, but being with family members affects the players' focus. Around 60 rooms were booked to accommodate the other members of the team traveling with the team at the place where the team was staying. It was a family atmosphere there, with takeaway dinners and outings being the norm for some players.

The PCB is considering legal action against reports that remain unconfirmed. Sources said a new form of defamation law would see the PCB invoke its terms in the event of the rise of accusations on Pakistani players from a section of the digital and mainstream media in the World Cup or make personal comments under the guise of Machiavellian pretense. The source told PTI that the board's legal department has also started working on a possible notice under this new defamation law. He said that under this changed Defamation Law, people of that nature would be asked to produce their defense and would take action against them if they failed.