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Pakistan cricketer Naseem fined record $71,500 for minister criticism / Photo: R. Satish BABU - AFP
Pakistan cricketer Naseem fined record $71,500 for minister criticism
Fast bowler Naseem Shah has been slapped with the biggest fine in Pakistan cricket history after criticising a politician on social media.
Shah's whopping $71,500 punishment is the latest incident to rock the T20 Pakistan Super League during a turbulent opening week.
Fellow fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has also been fined $3,500 for breaking the tournament's tight security protocols and batsman Fakhar Zaman is facing ball-tampering charges.
The PSL is taking place behind closed doors without fans -- and only at two venues instead of six -- because of fuel supply concerns caused by the Iran war.
Naseem aimed a barb at Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz, who was the guest of honour at a slimmed-down PSL opening ceremony before last Thursday's match between Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen.
In a post on X, swiftly deleted after being widely shared, Naseem mocked Nawaz's arrival, saying: "Why is she treated like the Queen at Lord's?"
He later claimed his account had been hacked, but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not agree and ordered him to appear before a three-man disciplinary committee.
Naseem, who plays for Rawalpindiz, apologised before the committee imposed the record fine.
Afridi was fined by the Qalandars for breaching security protocols at his team hotel in Lahore, one of two host cities along with Karachi for this year's tournament.
Punjab Police said Afridi was refused permission to take visitors to teammate Sikander Raza's room but did so anyway.
Zaman is awaiting a decision on a ball-tampering charge after an incident in the Qalandars' match against Karachi Kings on Sunday.
The Kings, who needed 14 to win off the final over, were awarded five penalty runs when the umpires decided that Pakistan international Fakhar had altered the condition of the ball.
The ball was changed at the request of the Kings, who then knocked off the nine remaining runs they needed to win.
Fakhar was charged with violating the playing condition "which makes it an offence to take any action which changes the condition of the ball", said a PSL statement on Monday.
If the charge is upheld, Fakhar could be banned for one to two matches.
F.A.Wagner--BlnAP
