Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah has courted controversy even before stepping on the field in PSL 2026 where he is expected to represent Rawalpindi Pindiz. The fast bowler sparked a debate on the opening day of the tournament after he posted a sarcastic remark about Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on X.Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former Prime Minister Nawaz Shareef, was the guest of honor at the opening match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The newly formed team Hyderabad Kingsmen took on the defending champions Pakistan Qalandars in the opening match of PSL 2026. Before the match, Maryam was given a warm welcome by PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who introduced her to the franchise owners participating in the tournament.After PCB shared a video of Naqvi greeting Maryam at X, Naseem re-shared the clip with a controversial comment that quickly went viral on social media.“Why is she being treated like a queen at the Lords?” asked the Pakistan pacer on X. The tweet was soon deleted but has already gone viral on social media, provoking Pakistan fans. Shortly after the post was deleted, Naseem issued an explanation on X: “This Naseem account was recently hacked but has now been successfully restored.” 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.
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Axar Patel questions Impact Player rule: ‘All-rounders lose value’ The PSL season started with a bizarre incident where the color of the Hyderabad Kingsmen jerseys changed the white ball to pink and red during their match against Lahore Qalandars. Hyderabad Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne reported the issue to the umpires and subsequently joked on social media about a “pink ball competition”.“After the second game, I said to the referees, ‘What’s going on? The ball is red.’ It must be from clothing or something. I’ve never seen anything like this before, I’ve seen cases where something on the bat gets on the ball or it hits the pad and removes some of the paint. But I’ve never seen that with clothes. I’m sure he’ll sort it out in the next few games,” a confused Labuschagne told reporters at the post-match press conference.
