Pakistan, already struggling with the absence of its best bowler and a rushed preparation for next month's series against Australia, has docked a dozen players including star all-rounder Shahid Afridi and batsman Umar Akmal for being out of shape.
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Australia's limited-overs squads leave for the United Arab Emirates on Sunday but Pakistan on Wednesday was yet to announce its squads for the Twenty20, ODI and Test matches amid rumblings of discontent from coach Waqar Younis and captain Misbah ul-Haq. They are reportedly unhappy that a domestic Twenty20 competition has been given precedence over a training camp ahead of the Australia series.
The Pakistan Cricket Board warned players in June that if they were unfit, their salaries would be docked. That is the fate of the enigmatic Afridi, who is captain of the Twenty20 team and had a rocky relationship with Waqar in a previous stint as coach, and talented batsman Akmal, who will lose a quarter of their salary for four months.
"An assessment of 29 players' fitness was carried out between September 6 and 8, and 12 players did not meet the fitness standards," said a PCB spokesman.
Along with Afridi and Akmal, those facing fines include Khurram Manzoor, Sarfraz Ahmed, Abdur Rehman, Haris Sohail, Sohaib Maqsood, Mohammad Irfan, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Talha, Raza Hassan and Zulfiqar Babar.
But five others were rewarded with bonuses for improving their fitness, including Misbah-ul Haq, the Test and ODI leader. Three players - Nasir Jamshed, Wahab Riaz and Saeed Ajmal - have not been tested for "personal reasons".
Ajmal, who has taken 67 wickets in 12 Tests in the UAE, is working with the inventor of the doosra, Saqlain Mushtaq, to improve his action after being suspended by the International Cricket Council for throwing.
Ajmal has been so hard to pick against Australia in the past that coach Darren Lehmann hired the man with the most scrutinised action in cricket history, Muthiah Muralidaran, to prepare the batsmen to face him.
While the Ajmal threat no longer exists, Pakistan has a reputation for being dangerous in the face of extreme adversity and there are question marks over the Australian squad, too. Michael Clarke, who has been ruled out of the one-dayers with a problem hamstring, will leave for the UAE on Tuesday in an effort to be fit for the Tests, while the absence of Shane Watson through injury gives Mitch Marsh a chance to seize the No.1 all-rounder's mantle ahead of the home summer against India.
At least the late inclusion of Ben Hilfenhaus in the Test touring party for Watson makes for a better-balanced squad, given chief selector Rod Marsh had admitted the original one was light-on for fast bowlers.
Pakistan is coming off series losses to Sri Lanka in the Test and one-day formats.
