New Delhi: Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah has been hit with a heavy fine by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) following his controversial tweet on Pakistani politician Maryam Nawaz. Naseem has been fined PKR 20 million (approx. USD 72000) for the now-deleted social media post. The fine is believed to be the biggest in the history of Pakistan cricket.
A controversy erupted in Pakistan after Naseem criticised Maryam in a tweet last week. Though the tweet was deleted swiftly, it went viral on social media platforms. Naseem’s official X account quote-tweeted a post from the PCB featuring a picture of Maryam, who is the chief minister of the Punjab province in Pakistan.
“Why is she treated like the Queen at Lord’s?” read the tweet from Naseem’s account. Maryam is the daughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the niece of current Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. She was one of the notable guests who attended the opening game of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
The PSL 2026 is being played behind closed doors after the PCB announced last week that the league will go ahead without spectators inside the stadiums due to the ongoing fuel crisis in the country. Pakistan is one of the many countries dealing with an energy crisis amid the ongoing war between Iran, US and Israel, which has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
However, a few notable guests were present at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore ahead of the PSL 2026 opener between Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen. Maryam was among the guests and was seen meeting people at the stadium along with the players from both teams before the start of the game.
🚨 Naseem Shah tweeted about Maryam Nawaz… then deleted it within 5 minutes! 😳 pic.twitter.com/JwhzqICKCC
— Ahtasham Riaz (@ahtashamriaz22) March 26, 2026
PCB comes down hard on Naseem Shah
Naseem was immediately pulled by the Pakistan Cricket Board after the tweet from his account went viral. The pacer claimed his account was hacked and that he was not the one behind it. However, PCB was not satisfied with his response and issued a show-cause notice to the pacer.
PCB on Monday said a hearing took place in the form of a three-member disciplinary committee, where Naseem rendered an unconditional apology for the tweet. However, PCB came hard on the pacer by imposing a heavy fine, believed to be the biggest in the history of Pakistan cricket.
In its statement, PCB said the fast bowler has been found guilty of breaching multiple clauses of his central contract. The PCB added that it remains committed to “upholding professional standards, contractual obligations and the integrity of the game”.
The fine of PKR 20 million (Around Rs 67.85 lakh INR) is a huge blow for Naseem, who is part of the Rawalpindiz squad in PSL 2026. Rawalpindiz is one of the two new franchises introduced in the PSL this year. For context, the PKR 20 million fine is almost eight times what the pacer earns monthly from his Pakistan central contract.
Naseem is part of the C Category in Pakistan’s current central contract list. He was the most expensive pick at the PSL 2026 auction earlier this year, where he was picked up by Rawalpindiz for PKR 86.50 million (INR 2.93 crore approximately).