PSL controversy! 'Culprit is me, not Shaheen' – Raza breaks silence on security breach
Lahore Qalandars stars Sikandar Raza and Shaheen Shah Afridi face hotel security breach allegations. Police claim "unauthorised" visitors were escorted into their room despite refusals. Raza denies forced entry, stating they were family and friends and Afridi assisted him.
He claims ignorance of SOPs and a shorter visit than reported.
Fresh controversy hit the Pakistan Super League as Lahore Qalandars all-rounder Sikandar Raza and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi were accused of breaching hotel security protocols after four "unauthorised" visitors reportedly entered the team’s hotel room. According to a Punjab police letter sent to PSL CEO Salman Naseer, Raza and Afridi allegedly "forcibly escorted" the visitors despite prior refusals from security. Raza, however, has strongly refuted the allegations.
He clarified that the four visitors were his long-time friends and family members, and that Afridi was only assisting him at his request. "Shaheen did not force anyone," Raza told ESPNCricinfo. "My friends and family had come, and at my request, Shaheen helped them [come up to my room].
If these were the SOPs, I wasn’t aware, and to some extent, Shaheen was not aware either. The culprit here is me, not Shaheen. He went down on my request because it was my close family and friends; I did not want to meet them in the business centre.