A Pakistani cricketer has been hit with a $125,000 fine after he appeared to criticise a prominent political figure.
Naseem Shah was given what is believed to be the largest fine in Pakistan cricket history by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), after a post from his X account appearedto take aim at Punjab’s Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had previously announced the Pakistan Super League (PSL) would take place without spectators because of the country’s need to conserve fuel due to the Strait of Hormuz’s closure and other regional conflicts.
However, some public officials, including Nawaz, the daughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the niece of current Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, was in attendance at Gaddafi stadium for a match between the Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen.
The PCB’s X account uploaded footage of Nawaz meeting players before the match, which Shah responded to by writing “Why is she treated like the Queen at Lord’s?”
The post was quickly deleted and another post claimed his account had been hacked and now recovered.
Pakistan bowler Naseem Shah has been hit with a $125,000 fine. Photo / Photosport
A PCB statement said a hearing was held by a three-member disciplinary committee, where Shah gave an unconditional apology and sacked his social media manager.
The statement also said Shah was “found to have breached various clauses of his central contract” and the organisation aimed to uphold “professional standards, contractual obligations and the integrity of the game”.
Each player was fined about $30,000 after the team were bounced out of the tournament at the Super Eight stage, the fourth time in a row Pakistan had not made the semi-finals of an ICC men’s event.
Shah was part of the Pakistan squad for the T20 World Cup and was signed by Rawalpindiz in the PSL.
