5 days into PSL 2026 and three Pakistani stars face fines and suspensions; details inside

Just five days into PSL 2026 - a tournament currently confined to just two cities and played behind closed doors - three of Pakistan’s biggest icons have already been penalised. While the rival Indian Premier League (IPL) enjoys a 'bumper' start, the PSL is grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons. From Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi to Fakhar Zaman and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza, the disciplinary committee has been kept busy.

Who did what?

Naseem Shah – Breach of Central contract and social media policy

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The PCB has refuted ‘hacked’ claims of Naseem’s social media account, where, on his X handle, following his team’s (Rawalpindiz) tournament opener last Friday, a now-deleted post aimed at criticising Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz at the PSL opening ceremony, asking, "Why is she treated like the queen at Lord's?" made headlines.

While that post was quickly taken down and replaced with another one claiming that his account got hacked, the PCB slapped Naseem with what is believed to be the largest penalty imposed in Pakistan Cricket history (PKR 20 million).

Naseem later apologised for that post and even sacked his social media manager.

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Lahore Qalandars in trouble

As many as three players from Qalandars, including an overseas all-rounder, have found themselves in hot water, with two serving suspensions for different reasons.

Lahore captain Shaheen Shah Afridi was penalised for ‘forcefully escorting four unauthorised guests’ to his franchise teammate Sikandar Raza's private hotel room on Saturday, despite being denied permission by the relevant authorities.

While Raza continues to be questioned for breaching team hotel security protocols, having repeatedly urged the concerned authorities to spare Shaheen in this case, as he was only assisting, the PCB slapped a PKR 1 million fine on Shaheen for violating the league’s strict security SOPs.

Fakhar Zaman - Ball Tampering (Level 3 offence)

During the fag end of Lahore’s game against the Karachi Kings, Fakhar was recorded on camera tampering with the ball’s condition. While the on-field officials awarded five penalty runs to Karachi, which eventually proved decisive in the game’s outcome, match referee Roshan Mahanama confirmed the maximum suspension (2-match ban) after a formal hearing on Tuesday.

As a result, Fakhar will miss the upcoming two games against Multan Sultans and Islamabad United.

Gautam Sodhi

Meet Gautam, a seasoned journalist with over eight years of experience in covering the world of sports. I am a self-proclaimed cricket fanatic, having a deep passion for the game a...Read More

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