LAHORE: Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah has issued a public apology after being fined Rs. 20 million by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for breaching clauses of his central contract and social media guidelines following a controversial post on X.
The 23-year-old addressed the matter shortly after the PCB announced the outcome of a disciplinary hearing, clarifying that the post in question was shared by his management team and did not reflect his personal views.
“A recent post from my account was made by my management team and does not reflect my views,” Naseem stated. “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.”
The incident traces back to the opening match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, where Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz attended as the guest of honour.
During the ceremony, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi welcomed her and introduced her to franchise owners.
Shortly after, a post from Naseem’s X account, quoting a PCB upload, sparked widespread debate. The now-deleted message questioned the treatment of the chief minister, drawing strong reactions across social media.
The fast bowler initially claimed that his account had been hacked, stating it had since been recovered. However, following a formal inquiry, the PCB concluded that multiple contractual and digital conduct clauses had been violated.
According to the board, a show-cause notice was issued on March 27, followed by a personal hearing conducted by a three-member disciplinary committee after reviewing Naseem’s response.
Despite noting his unconditional apology, the PCB imposed a fine of Rs20 million. The board further confirmed that Naseem had terminated his social media adviser, who has now been blacklisted from working with any players under PCB’s jurisdiction.
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