Pakistan Player Brutally Drags Journalist To Court Over Harassment In T20 World Cup

Salman Mirza played in T20 World Cup 2026 [Source: AFP]

Pakistan pacer Salman Mirza took the legal route and sued renowned journalist Shahid Hashmi for accusing him of sexual harassment during the T20 World Cup 2026. 

Salman Mirza grabbed the limelight after the tournament concluded, as Pakistan's leading media agency ARY News accused him of sexually harassing a female staff member during his stay in the team hotel in Sri Lanka. 

Led by Salman Ali Agha, the Pakistani team played all its T20 World Cup 2026 matches in Sri Lanka as part of the PCB's agreement with the ICC, which allows India and Pakistan to play their respective matches in neutral venues if either hosts an ICC event. 

How did Salman Mirza's name surface in the harassment case?

The Pakistani team blew hot and cold in the T20 World Cup 2026, suffering a Super 8 elimination from the competition. 

Despite announcing a star-studded squad for the tournament, the Men in Green failed to live up to the expectations and made a premature exit from the marquee event. 

Also read: Salman Mirza carries Pakistan legacy, commits fielding howler of T20 World Cup 2026

While most of his teammates faced massive backlash for underwhelming performances in the T20 World Cup, Salman Mirza grabbed the headlines for the wrong reasons. 

A shocking report, claiming one of Pakistan's players misbehaved with a female staff member in the team hotel, emerged after the team's elimination. While the name of the player wasn't revealed, ARY News journalist Shahid Hashmi had claimed that it was Salman Mirza who committed the wrongdoing. 

Salman Mirza issues legal notice against Shahid Hashmi and ARY News

After the Men in Green marked their exit from the competition, the report from ARY News journalist Shahid Hashmi spread like wildfire, claiming Salman Mirza had harassed one of the female staff members during the team's stay in Sri Lanka. 

However, Salman swiftly dismissed the claims, calling them baseless rumours. The left-arm pacer openly slammed the media house as well as the journalist for spreading false narratives. 

In the latest development, Salman filed a legal notice against ARY News and Shahid Hashmi, confirming the same through a social media post on Instagram. 

Sheri.

@CallMeSheri1_

Salman Mirza's Instagram story. 🤯 - The legal notice has been sent to ARY News and Shahid Hashmi.

Mar 12, 2026, 2:49 PM

In the notice, Salman Mirza's lawyer explained how the baseless report from ARY News and Shahid Hashmi damaged his client's reputation in the country. He also highlighted the mental trauma that the fast bowler went through while dealing with the made-up accusations. 

The Pakistani fast bowler even warned the media house to take down all the content where they brought his name to disrepute for clicks and engagement.  

Salman Mirza's performance in T20 World Cup 2026

Hailed for his ability to make the new ball talk, Salman Mirza pipped Naseem Shah in the Pakistan team selection race during the T20 World Cup. He instantly got a game, as the Men in Green defeated the Netherlands to kick off their campaign on a winning note. 

However, despite scalping three wickets in the first match, Mirza missed out on selection in the subsequent matches, with the Pakistani think tank picking a spin-heavy team to exploit the Sri Lankan conditions. 

Overall, he finished the tournament with four wickets in three games at an impressive strike rate of 13 and an economy of 6.78. 

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