The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken action against fast bowler Naseem Shah for criticizing a politician's presence at the opening of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the country's premier domestic tournament. Shah commented on a PCB post about the opening game on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Why is she treated like the queen at Lord’s?" in an apparent reference to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's attendance at the stadium. He deleted the post shortly after and later claimed his account had been hacked.
In a statement, the PCB said Shah has been issued a show-cause notice for violating the terms of his central contract as well as media policy and regulations. The board stated, "The show-cause notice has been served in accordance with the PCB’s disciplinary framework. Naseem Shah is required to provide a response within the stipulated time. Upon receipt and review of his response, the PCB will decide on any further action in line with the regulations." This incident follows last year's case where Pakistan all-rounder Aamer Jamal was fined $4,000 for displaying a slogan in support of cricket great Imran Khan, Pakistan's imprisoned former prime minister.
The Pakistan Super League, originally scheduled for six venues, has been reduced to just two—Lahore and Karachi—and is being played behind closed doors, with fans barred from attending. This restriction is linked to the Middle East conflict, which has resulted in exorbitant fuel hikes in the region, and the Pakistani government is urging people to restrict travel and work from home. At the tournament's opening, Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz was invited to Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, where she was introduced to officials of the eight franchises and players ahead of the match between defending champion Lahore Qalandars and first-timers Hyderabad Kingsmen.
Naseem Shah, a right-arm fast bowler, has taken a total of 152 wickets while representing Pakistan in 20 Test matches, 34 one-day internationals, and 37 T20 games. He is scheduled to play for the new PSL franchise Rawalpindi Pindiz in Saturday's game against Peshawar Zalmi, led by former Pakistan all-formats captain Babar Azam. The PCB's move has reignited debates over freedom of expression for athletes and political interference in cricket, highlighting ongoing tensions within the sport's governance.
Source: www.aljazeera.com