Pakistan's Naseem Shah fined PKR 20 million for political tweet
What's the story
Fast bowler Naseem Shah has been fined a whopping PKR 20 million (approximately $72,000) by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). According to ESPNcricinfo, the fine is "believed to be the largest" in Pakistan cricket history. A tweet from Naseem's account, which has been deleted, criticised Punjab's chief minister, Maryam Nawaz. The report added that Naseem later issued an unconditional apology and sacked his social media manager.
Disciplinary action
PCB's decision follows show-cause notice to Naseem
The PCB's decision comes two days after issuing a show-cause notice to Naseem. The fine was announced in a statement from the PCB, which said that the fast bowler had breached several clauses of his central contract. This is not the first time the PCB has taken a strong stance against political expression among its cricketers.
Social media controversy
Naseem's tweet aimed at Nawaz was later deleted
Ahead of the PSL opening game, Naseem appeared to target Nawaz. His account quote-tweeted a post from the PCB media account, asking, "Why is she treated like the Queen at Lord's?" The post was deleted minutes later, and another post claimed that his account had been hacked and later recovered. As mentioned, the Pakistan seamer issued an unconditional apology and sacked his social media manager.
Policy enforcement
PCB's stance on political expression among players
The PCB has been strict about political expression among its cricketers. Last year, all-rounder Aamer Jamal was fined over PKR 1 million for showing a slogan supporting the former Pakistan PM and cricket team captain Imran Khan. As per ESPNcricinfo, Naseem has been docked a fine 16 times higher than Jamal. This amounts to nearly eight months of his central contract salary.
Career highlights
Naseem had a rough start to PSL season
Earlier this year, Naseem emerged as the most expensive player at the Pakistan Super League (PSL) auction. He had a rough outing for Rawalpindi Pindiz against Peshawar Zalmi, conceding 51 runs without a wicket. Despite this setback, Naseem has been a key player for Pakistan across formats, with 60 Test, 60 ODI, and 32 T20I wickets to his name.