Australian cricketer faulkner also part of 2015 World Cup-winning team, had been playing for Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Australian bowler James Faulkner allegedly damaged a hotel chandelier before quitting Pakistan’s Twenty20 league at the weekend claiming he hadn’t been paid, claims that were refuted as “baseless” by the country’s cricket board.
Australia’s 2015 World Cup-winning team, had been playing for Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Faulkner abruptly left the league and took to social media to claim that he’d been lied to by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and that his treatment had been a “disgrace”.
“I apologise to the Pakistan cricket fans. But unfortunately I’ve had to withdraw from the last 2 matches and leave the @thePSLt20 due to the @TheRealPCB not honouring my contractual agreement/payments,” Faulkner said on Twitter.
“I’ve been here the whole duration and they have continued to lie to me.
“It hurts to leave as I wanted to help to get international cricket back in Pakistan as there is so much young talent and the fans are amazing.
He has become the latest cricketer to sever ties with Pakistan, adding to the country’s setbacks as it tries to regain its footing as an important destination in world cricket.
Last year New Zealand and England called off tours in Pakistan over security concerns.
After New Zealand cancelled its tour of Pakistan, Dawn quoted a PCB official as saying, “this is a blow to the efforts the PCB, the government and the security agencies who had been making to fully restore international cricket in Pakistan.”
31-year-old Faulkner is a bowling all-rounder, right-handed batsman with a left-arm fast medium bowling style. He has also played in the Indian Premier League with the Gujarat Lions. Faulkner was the first Australian to take a five-wicket haul against Pakistan during the 2016 T20 World Cup tournament.
The PCB and Quetta Gladiators issued a statement condemning what they called “baseless allegations of non-payment and mistreatment” and said Faulkner had received 70 per cent of his contracted fee in his British bank account in December last year.
“In spite of the money being transferred and received in his account, Mr Faulkner continued to insist that a second duplicate payment of the same amount be made to his account in Australia,” said the PCB.
The PCB said they assured Faulkner the matter would be settled, but he departed on Saturday morning after allegedly throwing his bat and helmet into a hotel chandelier before heading to the airport.
“Prior to his departure, Mr Faulkner caused deliberate damage to the hotel property and as a result had to pay damages to the hotel management,” said the PCB, who said that Faulkner would be banned from playing in any future PSL tournaments.
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‘Reprehensible behaviour, gross misconduct’
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and PSL franchise Quetta Gladiators, however, issued a joint statement Saturday denying Faulkner’s allegations and said the Australian cricketer will never be part of any PSL tournaments in future.
“The PCB and Quetta Gladiators are disappointed and dismayed with the reprehensible behavior of Mr James Faulkner, who was also part of the Abu Dhabi-leg of the HBL Pakistan Super League in 2021, and, along with all participants, has always been treated with utmost respect,” read the statement.
“In the seven years of the HBL Pakistan Super League, no player has ever complained about the nonfulfillment of the PCB’s contractual obligations,” the statement added.
The statement further said that before leaving Pakistan Faulkner had “caused deliberate damage to the hotel property and as a result had to pay damages to the hotel management. The PCB later also received reports and complaints from the immigration authorities that Mr Faulkner had acted inappropriately and abusively at the airport.”
The PCB said it sees “Faulkner’s gross misconduct” as an attempt to bring Pakistani cricket and its administration “into disrepute”, adding that there has been a unanimous decision by the PCB and all franchises to exclude Faulkner from any future HBL Pakistan Super League events.