The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a firm directive to its centrally contracted players, warning them against sharing anything on social media without prior permission—an action taken in the wake of the controversy surrounding fast bowler Naseem Shah.
In its reminder to players and their support staff, the PCB reiterated that it expects strict adherence to its social media policy. The board made it clear that political material will not be accepted under any circumstances, and that any breach could result in a penalty starting at PKR 10 million. Under the directive, centrally contracted players are required to seek clearance from the PCB’s media department before uploading posts to social platforms.
Why the PCB cracked down after Naseem Shah’s fine
- The PCB’s latest warning follows disciplinary action against Naseem Shah, who was fined PKR 20 million (about USD 72,000) for a social media post that was later deleted.
- The incident occurred around the opening match of the 2026 Pakistan Super League, where Naseem posted content that questioned the treatment of Maryam Nawaz at the Gaddafi Stadium.
- In the now-removed post, Naseem asked: “Why is she being treated like the Queen at Lords?”, referring to Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
- The PCB said its disciplinary committee concluded that Naseem breached terms of his central contract as well as the board’s social media guidelines.
- A show-cause notice was issued on March 27 after Maryam attended the PSL opener as the chief guest.
- Even though the post was deleted and an account-hack claim was made, the PCB did not accept the explanation.
- The board also noted that Naseem issued an unconditional apology, but the committee still proceeded with punishment after reviewing the response.
- The PCB said: “Naseem’s reply was reviewed by the committee, and after evaluating everything, it has been determined that Naseem is found to have breached various clauses of his central contract, and a fine of PKR 2 crore has been imposed.”
The PCB further stated that Naseem’s social media adviser has been removed from the board’s system and blacklisted from working with any player under its structure.
