Naseem Shah Narendra Modi Indian Cricket Team. Image Credits: AFP
Pakistani pacer Naseem Shah got involved in a controversy after his post on X (previously Twitter) led to him being penalized by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Naseem Shah is currently in action in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL 2026) tournament for the new team Rawalpindiz.
This year’s Pakistan Super League is being played without crowds in the stadiums. Also, the PSL 2026 tournament is being played only in two venues in Lahore and Karachi, instead of the originally planned six cities.
PSL 2026 being played in empty stadiums, in only two venues, due to fuel shortage in Pakistan
This is due to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requesting the Pakistani citizens to remain at home and limit their travel to essentials.
The situation is due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which has also caused a global oil crisis, which has had a significant impact in Pakistan, particularly with disruptions to oil supply in the Strait of Hormuz.
This led to PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi confirming that PSL 2026 would be played in Karachi and Lahore, and even the opening ceremony of the Pakistan Super League 2026 was cancelled.
Naseem Shah gets in trouble for tweeting about Maryam Nawaz’s appearance in the PSL 2026 opening game
While fans are barred from attending games at the country’s premier domestic tournament, the PSL 2026 opening match was attended by Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz. Nawaz was invited to Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday, along with other dignitaries.
They were introduced to officials of the eight franchises and players before the PSL 2026 opening game between the Lahore Qalandars and first-timers Hyderabad Kingsmen.
After PCB shared the video of Naqvi greeting Maryam on the social media platform, Naseem Shah found her and other politicians attending the PSL game hypocritical and posted on X, saying, "Why is she treated like the queen at Lord’s?”
Naseem received severe backlash on social media, and while he claimed his X account was hacked, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday (March 30) announced a fine of PKR 20 million on national fast bowler Naseem Shah following a disciplinary hearing.
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Kamran Akmal gives Indian cricketers Rahul Gandhi’s example while warning other Pakistani players
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has advised Naseem Shah to put the social media scandal behind him and cautioned that his pace has decreased dramatically. He also claimed that the PCB and officials salvaged his career.
“The members of this committee and the chairman have saved his career. If he had been banned, his career would have been ruined. Where has the pace gone? He started at 145, 150—now it’s 135, 137. What was the diet plan? What did you do?
Leave these things; play, enjoy your life, be successful, become a performer, and focus. Bring more skill to your bowling … I was so happy when he came on the scene in 2018. Such a talented fast bowler. He got everything at a young age due to his hard work and skill. I think he should go and thank the PCB chairman who has taken this decision as if he were his own child. Money can come back; a ban would have been brutal,” Akmal said on YouTube show Gameplan.
He also warned Pakistani players to follow in the footsteps of their Indian counterparts in terms of posting negative comments about politicians on social media, using Rahul Gandhi as an example.
“When you are part of the system, you have to stay neutral. You focus on your cricket. Tell me how many of their (Indian) players tweet about Rahul Gandhi. It doesn’t happen in the world,” Akmal noted.
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