LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday imposed a hefty fine of Rs20 million on fast bowler Naseem Shah for breaching various clauses of his central contract as well as the board’s Social Media Guidelines.
In a press release, the PCB announced the outcome of disciplinary proceedings conducted by a three-member committee.
The board had issued a show-cause notice to the 23-year-old pacer on Friday, after a now-deleted post appeared on his X (formerly Twitter) account criticising the protocol extended to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif during her visit to inaugurate the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium a day earlier.
The post, which questioned why she was being “treated like the queen at Lord’s” amid the tournament being played behind closed doors due to a fuel crisis, was removed shortly after it went viral.
Naseem initially claimed his account had been hacked, but the PCB noted inconsistencies in his explanations, including the rapid recovery of the account and later statements attributing the post to his social media manager.
A personal hearing was held on Monday following review of Naseem’s written response. The disciplinary committee observed that while the player tendered an unconditional apology and had already terminated the services of his social media adviser — who will now be blacklisted by the PCB from associating with any contracted players — he was still found to have violated the terms of his central contract and the board’s media policy and regulations.
“Whilst noting the unconditional apology tendered, Naseem is found to have breached various clauses of his Central Contract and a fine of PKR 2 crores has been imposed,” the PCB statement read.
It added that the board “remains committed to upholding professional standards, contractual obligations and the integrity of the game.”
Following the PCB’s announcement, Naseem Shah posted on X: “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.”
Naseem, who represents Rawalpindiz in the ongoing PSL 11, has featured prominently for Pakistan in all formats, known for his express pace and aggressive style.
This is not the first instance of the PCB taking action against players for off-field conduct involving political references.
In 2025, all-rounder Aamer Jamal was fined approximately Rs1.4 million (around USD 4,000–5,000) for wearing a floppy hat bearing the number “804” — the prison identification number of former prime minister and ex-Pakistan captain Imran Khan — during a training session ahead of a home Test series against England.
The latest disciplinary action against Naseem underscores PCB’s strict enforcement of its central contracts, which require players to refrain from public comments on political matters or actions that could bring the game into disrepute.
Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2026