New Delhi: Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Afridi and all-rounder Sikandar Raza have received immense scrutiny for a “serious breach of security protocols” amid the ongoing 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
According to an ESPNCricinfo report, in a letter sent by Pakistan’s Punjab Police to PSL CEO Salman Naseer, the two players were accused of forcefully escorting four visitors into their hotel room on Saturday, March 28.
The letter alleged that the PCB, anti-corruption manager and Naseer denied multiple requests from the Qalandars seeking permission to receive visitors in Raza’s room. Despite the resistance from on-duty security staff, they hosted unauthorised visitors in the hotel. The letter ended by calling for a review of the incident and requesting that appropriate steps be taken to prevent the same violations in the future.
‘Shaheen went down on my request, and the culprit here is me’
Speaking at the press conference after the match on Sunday, Raza said that his friends and family came at his request, and Shaheen helped to escort them into his room. The all-rounder further added that he and Shaheen weren’t aware of the SOPs.
“Shaheen didn’t force anyone,” Raza said. “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 wasn’t aware either. The culprit here is me, not Shaheen. He went down on my request, because it was my close family and friends; I didn’t want to meet them in the business centre. We sat upstairs for 40 minutes,” Raza said.
The PSL 2026 season was also hit by a ball-tampering controversy during the match between Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings at the Gaddafi Stadium. The Qalandars were given a five-run penalty for ball-tampering after the umpires ruled that they had tried to change the condition of the ball before the final over.
Kings needed 14 runs to win, and Haris Rauf was set to deliver the last over. He, Shaheen and Fakhar Zaman were involved in a brief discussion at the bowler’s run-up, during which each of them handled the ball. Umpire Faisal Afridi noticed that and called for the ball to be inspected.
Following the examination of the ball, and discussion between the on-field umpires and match officials. After which, they concluded that the Lahore Qalandars players deliberately tried to change the condition of the ball.
As a result, five runs penalty was awarded to Karachi Kings, and the ball was replaced immediately. After the penalty, the Kings needed just nine runs in the last over and secured the victory with three deliveries remaining.