Mohsin Naqvi and Naseem Shah (Source:AFP)
Fast bowler Naseem Shah was fined a massive PKR 20 million by the Mohsin Naqvi's Pakistan Cricket Board. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from former Pakistan captain, who called the punishment excessive and unnecessary.
The incident took place during the opening match of the PSL 2026 season. A controversial post from Naseem Shah's official account on X (formerly Twitter) quickly went viral, triggering backlash and forcing the Mohsin Naqvi's PCB to take disciplinary action.
Why was Naseem Shah fined by PCB?
The controversy began when a post from Naseem Shah’s X account made a sarcastic remark about Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, who had attended the PSL opening ceremony at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium on March 27.
Although the post was deleted shortly after being published. Naseem later replaced the post and attempted to contain the situation, but the damage had already been done.
Initially, the fast bowler claimed that his account had been hacked. However, PCB officials were reportedly not satisfied with this explanation. After conducting an internal investigation, the PCB concluded that the post violated the terms of Naseem's central contract.
As a result, the PCB imposed a fine of PKR 20 million, citing breach of the player code of conduct.
Reports also suggested that stricter action, including a possible ban, had been considered before the final decision was made.
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It is also important to note that Maryam Nawaz also responds with a social media Tweet - "Why is she treated like a queen at Lord’s because she is a symbol of resilience and courage."
Here is Naseem Shah's Tweet:
Naseem Shah apologises for cryptic post
Following the backlash and disciplinary action, Naseem Shah broke his silence and issued a public apology on the same social media platform. In his statement, he clarified that the controversial post was made by his management team and did not reflect his personal views.
"A recent post from my account was made by my management team and does not reflect my views. I take full responsibility for my platform and have implemented the necessary changes to ensure this does not happen again. I sincerely apologise to everyone affected by this misuse of my platform," Shah said on X.
Younis Khan lashes out at Mohsin Naqvi's PCB on Naseem's fine
Former captain Younis Khan openly criticised the PCB’s decision. He argued that the punishment was far too harsh, especially after the player had apologised and taken corrective steps.
"Once Naseem (Shah) had apologised for the tweet and also made it clear his social media manager was behind it and he had fired him, now the board could have let Naseem off with a warning and much lesser fine," Younis Khan said.
Younis Khan also added that such a fine effect player mentally.
"The board should be taking care of its players."
Younis Khan also pointed out that the PCB should focus on supporting its players rather than punishing them excessively.
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