Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah was fined PKR 20 million by the PCB for a tweet about Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz during PSL 2026. Despite claiming his account was hacked and apologizing, the board enforced the penalty for breaching his central contract, drawing widespread criticism from fans over its severity.
Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah has been fined by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for a tweet criticising Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s presence at the PSL 2026 opener between the Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday, March 30.
Naseem Shah, who joined Rawalpindi Pindiz for a record-breaking sum of PKR 8.65 crore, sparked a social media storm when he criticised the PCB for giving special treatment to Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of ex-Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, during the opening match of the PSL 2026, which took place behind closed doors.
On his X handle (formerly Twitter), Pakistan pacer wrote:
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“Why is she treated like the Queen at Lord's?"
However, Naseem Shah later deleted the post, stating that his account was hacked and issued an unconditional apology for the incident after the PCB issued a notice against him for breaching the terms of his central contract and media regulations.
Naseem Shan Punished by the PCB
The incident caused a storm in the Pakistan cricket circle, with fans and experts debating player conduct on social media. Though Naseem Shah issued an apology for the tweet, the Pakistan Cricket Board took strict action against the pacer for breaching the central contract regulations.
As per the reports, Naseem appeared before a three-member disciplinary committee in Lahore on Monday. The pacer was fined PKR 20 million (Approximately INR 68 lakhs) for the violation of PCB’s guidelines. Moreover, the board blacklisted Naseem Shah’s media advisor from associating with contracted Pakistani cricketers.
“It was noted that Naseem Shah’s social media adviser has already been terminated by Naseem and shall be blacklisted by the PCB from associating with any player falling under the PCB’s jurisdiction,” PCB said in a statement.
This was not the first time that PCB fined a player for social media conduct. Last year, all-rounder Aamer Jamal was penalised $4,000 for a political slogan supporting the jailed former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan during the PSL activities.
PCB’s action against Naseem Shah underscores the board’s strict stance on player conduct, making it clear that any violation of social media guidelines or central contract rules will be met with severe penalties to protect the integrity and image of Pakistan cricket.
PCB’s Action against Naseem Shah Sparks Reactions
Naseem Shah’s PKR 2 crore fine imposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for his controversial tweet against the Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz sparked a wave of reactions and criticism from Pakistan fans on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter).
Taking to their X handles, Pakistan fans and cricket enthusiasts slammed the PCB’s decision, calling the PKR 20 million fine excessive and unfair. Many argued the double standards of the board, pointing out that the ball-tampering accused Fakhar Zaman one-match ban, while a single tweet by Naseem drew a massive penalty.
Others lambasted the board for suppressing player freedom of expression, calling the move heavy-handed and detrimental to Pakistan cricket’s image.
Recently, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheeh Afridi, and others have been embroiled in a separate PSL 2026 controversy, with Zaman being charged with ball-tampering after the match against Karachi Kings, drawing fresh debate on discipline and conduct in the league.
Over the last few years, the 11th season of the PSL has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, right from the season opener, marked by artificial crowd noise, VIP access criticism, and a mysterious ‘pink ball’, to ongoing controversy around ball‑tampering allegations involving Fakhar Zaman, which have raised questions about discipline and the league’s image.
Also Read: PSL: Shaheen Afridi, Sikandar Raza accused of serious security breach
