f1

Ex-Pakistan batter slams PCB after Naseem Shah fined PKR 20mil for 'Queen' jibe

Sky F1

Former captain Younis Khan has criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board's PKR 20 million fine on Naseem Shah, deeming it excessive after the pacer deleted a controversial tweet and apologized. Khan believes leniency or a lesser penalty would have been more appropriate, warning of negative impacts on player morale.

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan has criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), led by Mohsin Naqvi, for imposing a hefty PKR 20 million fine on pacer Nasee The controversy stems from a now-deleted post on Naseem’s official X account during the opening match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026. The post appeared to take a dig at Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, questioning her high-profile presence at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. What triggered the controversy?

The post, which quote-tweeted a PCB update from the PSL opener, read: “Why is she treated like the Queen at Lord’s? ” It was widely interpreted as a remark on Maryam Nawaz’s VIP treatment, as she arrived with a large security convoy and later interacted with players. Although the tweet was quickly deleted and a follow-up claim suggested the account had been hacked, the explanation failed to convince PCB officials.

Within 24 hours, Naseem Shah was issued a show-cause notice for breaching his central contract and violating media guidelines. The PCB later confirmed that Shah had breached multiple clauses of his contract, particularly those restricting players from publicly criticising officials or associated entities. Despite the disciplinary action, Shah remains available for selection and is expected to continue playing in the tournament.

PCB on Monday fined Naseem Shah 20 million Pakistani rupees for posting tweets that were found to be in violation of his central contract. PCB imposes fine, tightens social media rules The PCB disciplinary committee imposed the fine within three days of the incident, even after Naseem reportedly apologised and terminated his social media manager. “It was noted that Naseem Shah’s social media adviser has already been terminated… and shall be blacklisted,” the board said in a statement.