The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has imposed a fine of 20 million Pakistani rupees on fast bowler Naseem Shah after finding his social media posts to be in breach of his central contract. The sanction was delivered following a disciplinary process, with the board citing contract violations and irresponsible conduct online.
Key takeaways
- Naseem Shah has been fined 20 million Pakistani rupees by the PCB for tweets deemed to breach his central contract.
- The PCB described it as the biggest fine in Pakistan cricket history.
- The board said it found Shah guilty of violating contract clauses and of behaving irresponsibly on social media.
- Shah received a show-cause notice on March 27 after Maryam Nawaz attended the PSL opener at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
- After the notice, he issued an unconditional apology and appeared before a three-member disciplinary committee in Lahore.
- The PCB also stated that Shah’s social media adviser has been dismissed by him and will be blacklisted from working with PCB-regulated players.
What led to the PCB action
On Monday, the PCB announced that Naseem Shah was penalised for posting on X in a manner the board considered to be in violation of the terms of his central contract. The PCB said its disciplinary committee concluded that Shah breached multiple clauses and acted irresponsibly through social media activity.
The timing of the controversy was linked to an earlier event in the Pakistan Super League. A show-cause notice was issued on March 27, shortly after Maryam Nawaz, the chief minister of Punjab, attended the opening match of the PSL at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. Nawaz was brought in as chief guest and introduced to representatives of the eight franchises and the players before the game between Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen.
Not long after that appearance, Shah posted on X, “Why is she treated like the queen at Lord’s?” referencing Nawaz’s presence at the venue. He removed the post soon after and said his account had been hacked.
Apology, disciplinary hearing, and further sanctions
Following the PCB’s show-cause notice, Shah submitted an unconditional apology. He then appeared before a three-member disciplinary committee in Lahore on Monday to respond to the charges.
The PCB said it recorded that Shah “breached various clauses of his central contract.” It also added that Shah had already terminated his social media adviser and that the adviser would be blacklisted by the PCB, preventing involvement with any player under PCB jurisdiction.
PSL context and Naseem’s current cricket details
The fine comes during a PSL campaign that has been disrupted by wider regional circumstances. Due to fallout from the conflict in Iran, fans have not been permitted in stadiums. The tournament has also been scaled down from six venues to two locations—Lahore and Karachi—while rising fuel prices have prompted the government to suggest limited travel and work-from-home practices.
Last year, Pakistan all-rounder Aamer Jamal was fined $4,000 for displaying a slogan in support of former prime minister Imran Khan.
At present, Naseem Shah is playing for Rawalpindi Pindiz. In their most recent outing, he recorded figures of 0 for 51 in a five-wicket defeat to Peshawar Zalmi.
The right-arm fast bowler has taken 152 wickets for Pakistan across formats, including 20 Test matches, 34 One-Day Internationals, and 37 T20 Internationals.
