Naseem Shah Clarifies Now-Deleted Tweet Questioning Maryam Nawaz’s Protocol at PSL Opener

Fast Bowler Says Post Unintentional, Claims Account Compromised

LAHORE: Pakistan international fast bowler Naseem Shah has instantly cleared the air after a controversial post made from his official social media account X, involving Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz.

Naseem Shah got embroiled in a controversy on the very first day of the Pakistan Super League 2026 season as he shared a controversial post on X, while quoting a video of PCB media and wrote, “Why is she being treat like the queen at Lords?”

The incident occurred during the opening match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 11 at Gaddafi Stadium.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was present as the guest of honour for the fixture between the defending champions Lahore Qalandars and the Hyderabad Kingsmen.

During the event, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi welcomed Maryam Nawaz and introduced her to the franchise owners participating in the tournament.

She extended her best wishes to all competing teams. The Chief Minister was also introduced to the players from both sides ahead of the curtain-raiser.

Shortly afterwards, a post appearing from Naseem Shah’s ‘X’ account (formerly Twitter) drew significant attention. The post was a quote retweet of a PCB media post showing Chairman Naqvi greeting Maryam Nawaz.

The now-deleted message read: “Why is she being treat like the queen at Lords?” The comment quickly sparked widespread engagement across social media, generating lively debate and diverse opinions among fans and the cricketing community.

Addressing the controversy, the right-arm pacer moved to reassure followers that the post was not intentional. In a fresh statement, Naseem explained that his account had been compromised.

“This account of Naseem was recently hacked but now recovered successfully,” he wrote, clarifying that the issue was the result of a security breach rather than a personal statement from the player.

It is pertinent to mention that three-time champions Lahore Qalandars began their title defence with a commanding 69-run victory over Hyderabad Kingsmen in the tournament opener.