The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has condemned what it described as agenda-driven fake news targeting its players, warning that circulating unverified allegations in media reports was unacceptable and would not be tolerated.
The statement followed reports in several Indian media outlets claiming an unnamed member of the Pakistan squad misbehaved with a female housekeeper at a hotel before a Super Eight match in Kandy.
A similar allegation was also broadcast by ARY News, which claimed the player involved was Salman Mirza, although the television channel later removed the report from its platforms.
The PCB statement, however, did not refer to any specific report or allegation, but stressed that character attacks against national players through fabricated stories were unacceptable and damaging.
It said the reporter responsible for spreading the claims must issue a public apology without delay, warning that the board would take necessary steps if the apology was not made.
The board did not specify which reporter it was referring to in the statement, but stressed that malicious conduct against national players would be addressed firmly.
The controversy surfaced during Pakistan’s disappointing campaign at the T20 World Cup, where the team was eliminated on net run rate despite defeating Sri Lanka national cricket team in their final Super Eights match.
Meanwhile, Salman Mirza announced on Thursday that he planned to pursue legal action against a local news outlet after it broadcast what he described as absurd misconduct allegations.
In a Facebook post, Mirza strongly condemned what he called baseless and absurd claims, saying no media organisation had the right to broadcast unverified allegations about national players.
He added that the Pakistan Cricket Board had already rejected the report as fake news, while confirming that he would pursue legal action against those responsible for spreading it.
