Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah has sparked controversy even before stepping onto the field in PSL 2026, where he is set to represent Rawalpindi Pindiz. The fast bowler triggered a debate on the opening day of the tournament after posting a sarcastic remark about Maryam Nawaz, the Chief Minister of Punjab, on X.Maryam Nawaz daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Shareef, was the guest of honour at the opening match of the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL) at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The newly made team Hyderabad Kingsmen faced the defending champions Pakistan Qalandars in the opening match of PSL 2026. Ahead of the match, Maryam, was warmly welcomed by the PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi who introduced her to the franchise owners participating in the tournament.After the PCB shared a video of Naqvi greeting Maryam on X, Naseem reshared the clip with a controversial comment that quickly went viral on social media.“Why is she being treat like the queen at Lords?” the Pakistan pacer had asked on X. The tweet was soon deleted but it had already went viral on social media triggering fans of Pakistan.
Shortly the post was deleted, Naseem issued a clarification on X, stating: “This account of Naseem was recently hacked but has now been recovered successfully.”
Despite the controversy, no legal action has been taken so far, and Naseem Shah is expected to continue playing for Rawalpindi Pindiz, who are making their PSL debut this season.
The PSL season was opened with a bizarre incident where color from the Hyderabad Kingsmen’s jerseys turned the white ball pink and red during their match against the Lahore Qalandars. Hyderabad Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne reported the issue to umpires, subsequently joking on social media about the “pink-ball contest.”“I did say to the umpires after the second over, ‘What’s going on? The ball is red.’ It must be from the clothes or something like that. I haven’t seen anything like this before, I’ve seen occasions where something on a bat comes onto the ball, or when it hits the pad and takes a bit of paint off. But I’ve never seen this happen with clothing. I’m sure they’ll sort it out in the next few games,” a baffled Labuschagne told reporters at the post-match press conference.