Naseem Shah has landed in fresh trouble. Days after being fined by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for a social media post about a politician, the Pakistan fast bowler has now been ruled out of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season due to fresh fitness concerns — a development that has further irked the board.
Naseem Shah ruled out of PSL (AFP)
According to a report in telecomasia.net, Naseem suffered a side strain during Rawalpindi’s match against Karachi Kings last week and subsequently missed the team’s next fixture. However, the PCB is not pleased with the concerns about his recurring fitness issues. The report added that the board is now mulling further action, not just over his fitness but also his overall conduct. He is expected to undergo an extensive rehabilitation process under the supervision of the PCB’s medical panel.
The development comes just over a week after Naseem was fined a hefty PKR 20 million for a social media post criticising Punjab’s Chief Minister, Maryam Nawaz. Following the incident, the PCB issued a strong message to all centrally contracted players regarding the responsible use of social media, warning that any breach of guidelines would invite strict action.
“Naseem suffered a side strain during Rawalpindi’s match against Karachi Kings on Thursday and missed the team’s last match, which has raised serious questions over his fitness,” sources told the website.
“Naseem’s rise has been stunted by off-field behaviour. His excessive attention to advertisements and podcasts has derailed his career. He also missed the 2023 ODI World Cup due to fitness issues, which are blots on his career. Naseem will appear before the medical panel under Dr Javed Mughal in the next couple of days, as the selection committee is also not happy with his frequent fitness issues,” the report added.
Naseem had earlier suffered an injury during the 2026 T20 World Cup and was subsequently not picked for the series against Bangladesh national cricket team. He was also demoted to Category C in the central contracts list, underlining growing concerns around his consistency and availability.
