Naseem Shah Faces PCB Notice Despite Clarification Over Controversial Tweet

LAHORE: Despite clarification, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to issue a show-cause notice to centrally-contracted right-arm pacer Naseem Shah over his controversial tweet, criticising Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz.

The controversy stemmed from the opening ceremony of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Thursday, which the CM Punjab graced as the guest of honour.

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

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.

However, despite the clarification from the pacer, the PCB has issued him a show-cause notice for violating the terms of the central contract. The cricket board further shared that the future course of action against the pacer will be decided in light of his response to the notice.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a show-cause notice to Naseem Shah, the fast bowler of the Rawalpindz PSL team and a national cricketer, for violating the terms of the Central Contract as well as the Media Policy and Regulations," the cricket board said in a statement.

"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.

"The PCB remains committed to upholding professional standards, contractual obligations, and the integrity of the game."

For the unversed, Naseem, who was roped in for Rs86.5 million at the historic players auction last month, is set to represent RawalPindiz in the ongoing PSL 11, while it remains to be seen whether he will be able to participate in the tournament due to the ongoing disciplinary action against him.