Shah fined $71,000 for tweet questioning Punjab chief minister’s presence at PSL’s opening match during economic crisis.
Published On 31 Mar 2026
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has fined Naseem Shah 20 million Pakistani rupees ($71,488) for breaching multiple clauses of his central contract and social media guidelines after he wrote a social media post critical of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
The pace bowler was punished on Monday for a now-deleted post on X in which he questioned Nawaz’s presence at the opening match of the Pakistan Super League, which is being played behind closed doors as the country grapples with a fuel crisis.
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Shah was issued a show-cause notice by the PCB, which is headed by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, before it imposed what has been reported by local media as the largest financial penalty in Pakistan cricket history and roughly equivalent to eight months of Shah’s central contract salary.
Nawaz was invited to Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday along with other dignitaries and was introduced to officials of the eight franchises and players before the opening game.
Shah wrote on X: “Why is she treated like the queen at Lord’s?” in an apparent reference to Nawaz’s presence at the stadium. He deleted the post soon afterwards and later said his account was hacked.
The 23-year-old apologised, appeared before a three-member disciplinary committee in Lahore on Monday and was found guilty. The PCB said Shah offered an “unconditional apology” during the proceedings.
“It was noted that Naseem Shah’s social media adviser has already been terminated by Naseem and shall be blacklisted by the PCB from associating with any player falling under the PCB’s jurisdiction,” the PCB said in a statement.
Shah admitted on X that the post was made by his management team and “it does not reflect” his views.
“I take full responsibility for my platform and have implemented the necessary changes to ensure this does not happen again,” Shah wrote on X on Monday.
In fallout from the United States-Israel war on Iran, fans are barred from attending games at Pakistan’s premier domestic T20 tournament, which has been reduced to two venues, Lahore and Karachi. Fuel price hikes have prompted the government to urge people to restrict travel and work from home.
Shah was the most expensive player at the league’s auction, where he was snapped up by new franchise Rawalpindi Pindiz. He has taken 152 wickets while representing Pakistan in 20 Test matches, 34 one-day internationals and 37 T20s.
Last year, Pakistan all-rounder Aamer Jamal was fined $4,000 for displaying a slogan in favour of cricket great Imran Khan, Pakistan’s imprisoned former prime minister.
