Naseem Shah in pain (Source: AFP Photos)
Naseem Shah was in the news lately after a controversial social media post on Maryam Nawaz. In the middle of PSL 2026, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) punished Naseem with a fine worth 20 million Pakistani rupees ($71,488), raising everyone’s eyebrows.
Of course, Naseem made a mistake by commenting on the Punjab Chief Minister on social media, though it was later deleted. “Why is she treated like the queen at Lord’s?” Naseem remarked on Maryam Nawaz, who was there during the PSL 2026 opener after getting the invitation from the PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi.
Nevertheless, Naseem later made a post after deleting the post, saying his account was hacked and the comment was not made by him.
It's important to note that PSL 2026 is happening behind closed doors, and hence Naseem’s comment on Maryam Nawaz was very candid. Later on, he paid the price for his fault.
The ongoing edition of PSL began with Lahore Qalandars going up against Hyderabad Kingsmen at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
RawalPINDIZ Confirm Naseem Shah Out Of PSL 2026 For Now
Amidst all the tweet controversy, RawalPINDIZ, the newly owned PSL franchise, confirmed a major setback during the ongoing edition of Pakistan’s T20 league.
In a statement, the Rawalpindi-based franchise announced that Naseem will not be participating in PSL 2026 for some time due to injury concerns. Naseem has sustained a side injury, which will rule him out of the action for a while.
However, the 23-year-old might join during the latter half of the tournament if the recovery goes well.
Not to forget, Naseem Shah was the most expensive PSL player, as RawalPINDIZ secured his services for a record-breaking PKR 86.5 million (approx. USD 310,000) in the last auction.
Therefore, it was a massive setback for RawalPINDIZ, who have lost three in three attempts in PSL 2026.
Also Read: Mohsin Naqvi’s PCB Launches Fresh Threat For All Pakistan Players After Recent Scandal
Naseem Shah's Record In PSL 2026
Naseem, however, had a very poor start in PSL 2026. Once projected as the next big thing among Pakistan bowlers, he conceded 51 runs off his four overs in his first outing of the season.
It was Babar Azam’s Peshawar Zalmi that Naseem faced in the RawalPINDIZ tournament opener, and he could not get a single wicket there.
After that, against Karachi Kings, Naseem returned figures of 2.2-0-26-1, with Muhammad Waseem being his only wicket of the season.
How Will RawalPINDIZ Attack Form Without Naseem Shah?
RawalPINDIZ have Mohammad Amir, Cole McConchie, Mohammad Amir Khan, Daryl Mitchell and Bangladesh’s Rishad Hossain in their bowling attack. They also have Zaman Khan, Jalat Khan and Fawad Ali as other options.
With Naseem Shah no longer available, RawalPINDIZ might opt for Zaman Khan, who made headlines earlier due to his slingy action.
Moreover, Zaman received a lucrative BBL contract, as Brisbane Heat signed him for BBL 13 as a replacement for Pakistan's ODI captain Shaheen Afridi.
Also Read: PSL 2026: Multan Sultans vs Rawalpindiz Prediction, Match 14- Who Will Win Today?
